Little Love
by DesperateWhisper
Summary: A queen, a sister, and now, a mother. Elsa adopts little Elise and discovers the ups and downs of being a parent. A series of one-shots.
1. Chapter 1

_Finally. _

Elsa retreated from her work right when the sun was about to disappear into the sea. With a grateful smile, she went to her quarters and immediately got ready for dinner.

After a full day of 'queenly' duties (as Anna calls it), which is inclusive of negotiating trades, signing papers for the court, planning future events for the people of Arendelle and keeping Anna and her fiancé in line, it was an understatement to say that she was tired. Despite her exhaustion (and growing fatigue from sitting too long in her seemingly-endless meetings), she still had higher priorities to take care of— though she wished that she had more time for her highest priority. But, she had now, and that was all that matters.

Hair in a bun and her in a simple turquoise dress, she headed out to the hallway to look for her daughter.

_Daughter_. The word was still foreign, but she knows that she'll get used to it in time.

"Elise? Elise, where are you?" Elsa's voice echoed through the empty hall, hearing for little pitter-patters or high pitched giggles. Walking around two doors from her quarters, Elsa spotted a moving curtain by the window, tiny feet peeking from underneath. Wanting to play along, Elsa chimed, "Oh, dear. Where could my little love be? I think I will just have to give my dessert tonight to Anna. I am sure that she would like that."

Elsa heard a startled gasp and Elise finally revealed herself, running, or more like toddling, towards Elsa. "No, Elsa! I want, I want."

Without another thought, she lifted the small girl in her arms, carefully spinning her around. It was enough to make her happy. A light flurry of snowflakes danced in the air, making Elise laugh loudly in delight.

* * *

Elsa adopted Elise three months ago, after a nearby orphanage had a field trip to the castle. Elsa and Anna even made sure to visit them during their tour. While the children were listening to Anna tell a few stories about the paintings (well, more about what she thinks about the paintings), Elsa spotted a small girl trailing behind. She had wide blue eyes, rosy red cheeks from the cold and light brown hair pulled back by a headband. She looked to be around two, possibly three, and she was trying her best to keep up with her older peers.

Trying to help, Elsa moved next to the child, kneeling down as she gently placed a hand on her back and nudged her forward so that she too can listen in to what her sister was saying. The child was surprised at the touch, but toddled forward obediently, looking to her side to see who was assisting her.

"Hello, dear." Elsa started, slightly awkward, but very polite. The girl looked at her and grinned proudly with her incomplete baby teeth. Elsa couldn't help but smile back, crinkling her nose at her cheekiness.

"Hi," The child smiled, not bothering to curtsy or bow, nor address her as 'her majesty', and that made Elsa even more at ease. The headmistress saw this and frowned, slightly disappointed and downright embarrassed at the child's blatant behavior.

"What is your name?" Elsa prodded on. The group was now moving, following both the tour guide and Anna. Not wanting to be left behind, Elsa stood up, her gloved hand taking the child's small one, walked a few steps behind the group, knowing that the child couldn't keep up with the long strides.

"Elise." She answered, stumbling a bit but never fell down due to Elsa's firm grip on her hand. The group was now slightly far ahead and Elsa noticed that Elise kept tripping on her own little feet. She debated whether or not to carry her, but she decided to take a leap of faith.

"Alright, up you go." Elsa announced, lifting Elise in her arms, surprised at how at ease she was with the child. Elise giggled and reached her arms up, looking at the high ceiling, "I fly!"

"Oh, your majesty," the headmistress of the orphanage finally intervened. "You do not have to trouble yourself with her. You may put her down."

Elsa bounced Elise, twirling a bit and laughing when the child squealed and giggled in delight. "It is alright. She seems to be enjoying herself."

Walking forward, Elsa asked cautiously, "Elise, are my hands cold?"

Elise nodded. Her heart immediately clouded with regret, but she was able to control the frost that threatened to spread through the walls. She shouldn't have been too forward with her. But before Elsa could apologize and put her down, she added, "I like."

"You like the cold?" Elsa asked, relaxing a bit. Elise simply nodded and proceeded to marvel at the intricate patterns on the walls. Elsa carried on asking Elise questions, mostly about how she is in the orphanage and random things such as her favorite color and food. She would usually answer in short, clipped sentences with her chime-like voice and then direct the question back at her with, 'You?'

Elise was treated not so nicely at the orphanage since she said she was two and couldn't speak with sentences longer than four words, therefore being picked on as stupid, although that was the normal rate at which she should be progressing. Elsa shot a dirty look at the children ahead of her when Elise had revealed this little fact. On the other hand, she liked the color blue, loved bread, fruits and cream and chocolate (a fact which Elsa smiled at). She loved to draw, and promised Elsa that she would draw her soon.

When they caught up to the group, and when Anna spotted her sister with a child in her arms, she left the tour guide and didn't waste a minute going (more like sprinting) towards them.

"Elsa, she's so cute!" Anna gushed, and her excitement seemed to mirror Elise's.

'Thank 'ou!" Elise lisped out, smiling cheekily. Anna laughed at her confidence.

"I like you." Anna said to Elise, tapping her nose. Instead of thanking her again, she blushed and hid her face from Anna. She looked at Elsa and she was now smiling down on Elise, her hand resting on the crown of her head. "Say thank you, Elise," she heard Elsa whisper to the girl, but she simply shook her head and hid her face behind her braid, making the sisters chuckle at her little antic.

Elsa never looked so much at ease until now. Anna saw in her face how much love she's been holding back.

"Elsa, I think she likes you." Anna mused, watching Elise curiously staring at Elsa's face. As if to further prove her point, Elise stretched up and planted a sloppy kiss on her cheek. Elsa looked at her, trying to suppress the flurry of emotions coursing through her right now. It was a puzzle to her, really, how her parents could leave such a sweet little girl in an orphanage.

Elsa still had no courage to reciprocate her kiss, but she held her tighter in her arms. Halfway through the tour, Elise had dozed off to sleep, her cheek now resting on Elsa's shoulder, and both legs on either side of her waist. She rocked her gently as she walked, Anna right beside her, smiling at how . . . _motherly_ Elsa was. Sure, she was like that to Arendelle and to her as well, but this was different. She was extremely at ease, no trace of worry that she would lose control of her powers.

Elsa's arms were starting to get tired, but she powered through up until the end of the tour and the children were supposed to go back to the orphanage.

"Your majesty, allow me to take her," the headmistress said, reaching for Elise but Elsa jerked away, holding Elise protectively. It was a maternal instinct, she was sure, but she wasn't even aware that she possessed it until now.

"No!" She said sternly, and then realized that the child in her arms was not hers. She straightened up and looked back at the headmistress apologetically. "I mean, she is asleep. I would not want to wake her."

"It is quite alright." Headmistress replied, not wanting to get on the queen's bad side. With a heavy heart, Elsa carefully passed Elise to her, trying not to jolt her awake, but once she was in the headmistress' arms, her eyes fluttered open. Elsa took this time to remove her gloves.

"Elsa?" Elise muttered groggily.

The headmistress snapped to correct her. "It's Queen Elsa."

"You have to go, Elise." Elsa said regretfully, a sad smile on her face. "Did you have fun today?"

Ignoring the question, Elise's hands shot out and reached towards Elsa, her eyes starting to brim with tears. "Elsaaa," she wailed, her voice shaking and her tears pouring out. Elsa took all of her courage not to snatch her back from the headmistress. She clenched her hands as she watched them walk away, and the walls behind her started to frost.

Once the children and the headmistress were already by the gates, and the cries from Elise grew louder and louder, Elsa yelped out, "Wait!"

She ran towards the crowd, very un-lady like for a queen, but she did not care. When she finally reached them, she plucked Elise from the headmistress' arms and cradled her in hers, wiping her tears away. "I'm here now, Elise. Stop crying, dear, shh," Elsa immediately soothed, and after a while, Elise was now reduced to a few hiccups.

"Thank you, your majesty." Headmistress said, grateful that she had quieted her down. She was about to take her again when Elsa took a step back.

"She is staying with me." Elsa announced, tightening her hold on Elise. She cleared her throat before continuing. "I would like to adopt her."

* * *

She learned during the whole adoption process that she had a rough background, but it was nothing too traumatic that would cause long term damage. Although it was extremely difficult to accept, it urged her to give Elise all the love she was starved of. Elsa didn't mind teaching her basic things; it actually thrilled her that she would still be able to experience a few of her firsts.

"Are you hungry, little love?" Elsa asked as she walked down the stairs, Elise still in her arms. She nodded furiously, licking her lips as if to prove her point. When they arrived at the dining room, Elsa set Elise on the high chair that she used to have when she was little next to her seat. One of the servants placed a bib on her, something that Elsa tends to forget to do.

"Thank 'ou!" Elise smiled at the servant, and he nodded his head in return.

"You are welcome, little miss."

Elise was served mashed potatoes, bits of shredded meat and a bottle of warm milk. Elise quickly got a fistful of the meat and shoved it in her mouth, more ending up on the bib rather than in her mouth. One of the servants offered to feed 'little miss', as the servants fondly called her, but Elsa smiled at her politely and declined her offer.

"Work with me on this one, Elise. Say 'aah'," Elsa urged, demonstrating by opening her mouth. She put the spoon of mashed potatoes between Elise's lips and then Elsa demonstrated chewing in an exaggerated manner, which Elise copied. "There we go, little love!"

Anna stared at her sister, giggling as she nibbled on a piece of meat. She had completely lost it over this little girl. The only noises in the dining room were the clinking of utensils and Elsa's 'eating demonstration' sounds.

"You're making weird faces again, Elsa," Anna chuckled, watching Elsa from across the table as she cleaned Elise's mouth with the bib, and then taking another spoonful of mashed potatoes from Elise's plate.

"No," Elsa drawled out, opening her mouth wide, "I'm not." And once again did the exaggerated chew.

Once Elise was done with her food, Elsa cleared her dish quickly so as not to delay the dessert. Elise drank her milk as the two sisters shared a small tray of various chocolates.

"You know, I really don't give you as much credit as you deserve," Anna started, popping a chocolate in her mouth. She finished chewing before she continued. "I mean, you run the whole kingdom, manage to spend time with me, and you manage to be such a good mother to Elise."

Elsa wasn't really fond of such praise, so she simply smiled at her sister and shrugged. "It's nothing."

"It's not nothing," Anna interjected. "It's amazing."

* * *

**Gah. It's been a while since my last story, so I deeply apologize since I believe this came out pretty rusty. This has been churning in my head for a little while. I've always pegged Elsa as a mother, but never as a wife. She's independent, and I like her as she is. I might add on to this, if a tiny little idea comes to me. Ideas are welcome, by the way. No angst, no anything. Just pure mother-daughter fluff, with a hint of Anna, Kristoff and probably Olaf. **

**Please do tell me what you think. Wishing you all the best! Happy New Year! **


	2. Chapter 2

"Elsaaaaa," Elise cried, standing up in her crib, holding on to the railings for support. The morning sun was warm and inviting, illuminating the little girl's room through the large glass window. Despite the good weather, Elise was most certainly not in a good mood. "Elsaaaa!"

In the room right next to Elise's, Elsa bolted awake at her daughter's cry. It was rare that she would call for her like that, especially early in the morning. She supposed that all children would call for their parents like this, but Elsa couldn't help but be worried. The hall her room was in had no other inhabitants other than her and her daughter, but she was afraid that her cries can reach even up to the other parts of the castle as well.

Elsa reacted as quick as lightning as she hastily put on her robe before walking barefooted towards Elise's room. Once she spotted her daughter's tear stained face, she made a beeline towards her before cradling her in her arms. Elsa hummed a little tune as she pacified her, rocking her slightly. She ceased her crying and started to relax in her arms.

"Good morning to you too, Elise," Elsa started, sitting down on the rocking chair by the dresser. She wiped her tears away before setting her on her lap. "You gave me quite a scare."

Elise wrapped her arms around Elsa's middle and rested her head on her chest, still pouting. Elsa responded by wrapping her arms around her, kissing the crown of her head.

"Stay," Elise said, slightly squeezing Elsa's middle. "Stay toooo-night."

"You want me to sleep here later this evening?" Elsa clarified. She felt Elise nod against her chest. "I don't think I will be able to. Your crib would not fit both of us." Elsa mused, poking at her daughter's stomach, making her giggle.

"How about, you sleep in my quarters for tonight. Just once." She felt her nod against her chest again, more enthusiastically this time. Leaning back against the rocking chair, Elsa brought her hand to Elise's back and started to rub little circles with her thumb.

"Little love, I have to attend to a meeting after breakfast. I'll be there with you for lunch, but I have to go once again for a few hours, up until a little before dinner. Your aunt Anna will be with you the whole time I am not around." Elsa said slowly, giving her an extremely watered down version of her schedule. She wasn't even sure that she completely understood her, but Anna managed to keep her entertained while she wasn't around for the past month. It'll all work out fine.

* * *

"What do you mean you can't take care of her?" Elsa screeched across the dining room table, trying her best not to scare Elise. "I have important meetings to attend to today!"

"I'm sorry! It's just that, I already promised Kristoff that we were going to go out alone." Anna shot back, trying her best to defend herself by hiding behind a blunt butter knife and a fork in an X position. "As much as I love Elise, I really can't take her today. Why don't you ask Gerda to look after her?"

Elsa sighed, and then nodded._ It would only be for a day_, she told herself.

"Gerda," Elsa called, standing up from her seat. Gerda immediately came into view, curtsying before asking what the Queen needed.

"Yes, milady?" She queried, eyeing the toddler who was feeding herself porridge with her hands.

"I entrust my daughter to your care during the periods when I am not available to accommodate her. See to it that she is changed, bathed and fed when the time calls for it. Also, please do not hesitate to interrupt and call for me in case of emergencies." Elsa laid down thickly, making it sound more like a heavy burden instead of a simple baby-sitting task.

Gerda nodded solemnly, smiling a bit. "Of course, milady. I won't let you down."

Elsa dismissed her before sitting down, and she noticed that Anna was already long gone. Looking to her right, she saw that Elise's dress, hands and face were covered with porridge. Elsa loosened up, laughing a bit at how silly she looked. She sighed with a small smile on her face as she started wiping her down. "I guess that's the last time I'm allowing you to eat that by yourself."

* * *

"I really don't see how this would be beneficial for both kingdoms. If you would only agree to our terms..." The trade advisor of Corona prattled on and on. Elsa's mind was going back and forth, her patience starting to wear thin from the meeting.

As if her impatience was sensed by a divine entity, a knock on the door was heard. "Enter," Elsa called out, thankful for the distraction. When she saw Gerda by the door, all daydreaming was cut and she immediately went over to her.

"I'm sorry for disturbing your meeting, milady, but little miss had met a little accident." Gerda started, but that was enough to make Elsa's eyes grow wide.

"What?! I thought you were taking care of her!" Elsa lashed out, ice shards quickly appearing from the walls. Before Gerda could defend herself, Elsa went back inside the room, trying to keep herself in control.

"I apologize for the delay and the abruptness, but I need to attend to something urgent. I leave the trade advisor of Arendelle to confirm all agreements in my place." Elsa announced hurriedly before running out the door.

"Where is she right now?" Elsa asked sharply, instinctively walking towards her daughter's room to see if she is there. Gerda tried to keep up with her long strides. Elsa opened the door and saw Elise lying down in her crib, a cloth bandage wrapped around her head. A spot on the cloth was was stained red, and that was enough to make her panic and anger grow.

"Tell me what happened to my daughter." Elsa forced out through gritted teeth, trying her best not to make the temperature drop in the room.

"I gave her a bath after lunch," Gerda started shakily. She swallowed the lump in her throat before continuing. "She was playing in the tub and when she stood up, she slipped on a bar of soap that was in the water and sliced her head by the soap holder against the wall."

Elsa breathed heavily through her nose, trying not to let her anger to overpower her. She allowed Gerda to continue.

"I wrapped her in a towel before rushing towards the doctor on the third floor. He said that it was good that it wasn't too deep, but it was deep enough to need stitches." Gerda tried to hide the strain from her voice, but failing miserably. Elsa gasped inaudibly, looking once again at her daughter.

"She will be alright, though. It would take a few days to heal, but he said to be extremely careful with her for safety precaution. The doctor will be coming back every few hours to change the bandage." Gerda added, hoping to appease the queen, at least a little bit.

"Thank you, Gerda." Elsa stated, but carried on. "Please inform them that I will not be attending my meetings for the week. Kindly bring up our meals for the rest of the week as well."

"Yes, your majesty." Gerda replied, her head bowed down.

"Gerda, I entrusted my daughter to your care, and I was not expecting anything like this to happen. I do not believe that I will be able to allow you to take care of her in my absence again, but I do forgive you for the events that have transpired." Elsa exclaimed before dismissing her. She watched at she scuttled out of the door.

Sighing, Elsa went up to Elise's crib and simply watched her sleep. She watched how her chest rose and fall with every breath she took, how her nose occasionally twitched, how her tiny little hands opened and closed. Elsa reached out to lightly brush her finger over the bandage, then held one of her small hands in her own. Unconsciously, Elise wrapped her hand around her slender finger.

Waking up with a yawn, Elise slowly opened her eyes, pleasantly surprised that Elsa was back.

"Hello there, Elise. You've had quite a day." Elsa smiled a bit, watching her reach out for her. Carefully supporting her head, she picked her up from the crib and they went directly to Elsa's quarters. Elsa propped herself up against a pillow, resting her legs on the bed before placing Elise on her lap.

"Elsa, baby fell." Elise jabbered, referring to herself as 'baby'. Elsa kissed near the area where the blood clotted, making Elise slightly wince.

"I can see that baby fell." Elsa supplied, playing along. She then continued, "Does it hurt?"

Elise brought her index finger and thumb close together to show that it hurt a little bit. A knock on the door was heard.

"Enter," Elsa said. The doctor came in, bowing first before stating that he had to change Elise's gauze and bandage, as well as disinfect it again. Elsa shifted Elise on her lap so that she would be facing the doctor.

The doctor was quick to remove the bandage and gauze, and Elsa saw that it was a fairly large cut, but like what Gerda said, it was not too deep. The doctor started cleaning off the smeared blood on the sides of the cut with a damp cloth, but when he pulled out the bottle of disinfectant, Elise turned her head away.

"I know it stings, little love, but it'll help your cut heal." Elsa soothed, her voice low and relaxing to appease Elise. She held her tightly on her lap. When the doctor started to dab the disinfectant on Elise's forehead, she started wailing at how much it stung and started struggling against Elsa. She held Elise's head against her chest, whispering encouraging things to her as the doctor cleaned her wound quickly. He replaced on her head a new gauze and bandage.

"Your majesty, I'm pleased to say that the bleeding had stopped a great amount. I will be back tomorrow morning, after breakfast." He bowed. Elsa acknowledged him before he left the room.

Elise was still fussy about the disinfectant, but Elsa hugged her close, wiping away the tears. "You were brave, little love. I'm proud of you."

"No Gerda to-morrow?" Elise asked, her voice slightly hoarse from the crying. Elsa shook her head.

"I apologize for earlier. I will be with you the whole week." Elsa said, trying to make her smile. Sure, she had double to workload to face the following week, but it didn't seem to matter to her at the moment.

It was only them for now, and she cherished every bit of it.

* * *

**Mama Elsa is touchy, but Elise doesn't seem to mind. I'm still adjusting to writing again. This one was unplanned. I was supposed to write something else, but things happened. By the way, these aren't continuous because I will want to jump from age to age, but, they will reference each other once in a while. **

**Please do tell me what you think. Wishing you all the best! **


	3. Chapter 3

It was two days before Elsa's birthday, and a grand ball was to be held in honor of her, despite her early protests. It was all Anna's idea, and Kristoff, Olaf and even Elise jumped on the idea immediately. Elsa finally relented, as long as she didn't have to partake in any kind of planning. She was busy enough as she is.

Anna was watching Elise since Elsa was trying to clear all of the paperwork in her study so she wouldn't have anything to worry about for the next week. Elise toddled over to Anna and she placed her on her lap.

"Gift for Elsa." Elise whispered in Anna's ear, sounding like she was telling her about a conspiracy theory. She then pointed outside, and Anna pieced the two things together.

"You want to buy her a present for her birthday?" Anna clarified, and Elise grinned, nodding her head quickly. Anna mirrored her smile and went immediately to the little girl's quarters to dress her appropriately for the cold weather. It was nearing December, and the snow falling from the sky was thankfully not woman-made.

After dressing herself and stuffing random denominations of money in her dress pocket, she went over towards the library, or Elsa's study, as she called it, little Elise in tow. Using her signature knock, she waited until she heard the muffled sound of 'Come in, Anna' from inside and opened the door, staying by the frame.

"Hey, Elsa, I just wanted you to know that I'm taking Elise out to play." Anna covered up, not wanting to expose Elise's true intentions. Elsa turned her head to look at her, then her eyes averted down and saw a Elise wearing a similar outfit to Anna's, shaking her head at how adorable they both looked.

"Alright. Don't go too far." Elsa smiled softly before going back to her mounds of paperwork. Anna cringed at the thick stacks, her respect for her big sister growing that much more. Swooping Elise up in her arms, they darted down the stairs and out of the palace gates.

"Do you have anything in mind for Elsa?" Anna asked with her voice low as she walked around. She kept her hood over her head, as well as a bonnet over Elise's, and kept her head down so as not to draw any unwanted attention. Very few people knew of Elise's adoption, and Elsa still was not ready to reveal her daughter to the public yet, for fear of how they would react.

"Chocolate," Elise lisped, coming out as 'chocwits'. And then added, "And necklace."

"Are you sure you're not courting her?" Anna joked, laughing at Elise's gift choices. "How about something more age appropriate, like a card or a bracelet or something? Ooh, you can even have it engraved!"

"Yes, yes!" Elise agreed, giggling a bit. She walked towards her favorite little dessert shop on her right. When the bell rang as Anna entered, the owner behind the counter looked over at the door and grinned.

"Why, good to see you again, Princess Anna! I made a fresh batch just an hour ago." The owner grinned. Anna was more or less a regular in his shop, coming in once a week to buy out all of his nougat-centered chocolate and eating them one right after another in the corner of his modest parlor. "And who is the little princess?"

"Hey there, Mr. Julian. Oh, she's a family friend," Anna lied quickly. "Her family is staying in the castle for Elsa's birthday and this one here wanted to buy her a gift."

"Ooh, how precious. If I am correct, Queen Elsa likes plain milk chocolate?" Mr. Julian clarified, starting to put a few pieces in a large box. Anna nodded, and she then added, "Also ones with macadamia nuts and pistachios in them. Also throw in a few pieces of dark chocolate in there as well."

The box was now almost full, leaving enough space for around four to five more pieces. "Any choices from the little princess?" Mr. Juilan asked Elise sweetly. Elise pointed at the white chocolate pieces marbled with pink.

"Ah, good eye. That's our new item. White chocolate with strawberry bits." He said, squeezing five pieces into the box, and then giving one to Elise. She devours this quickly, and then smiled cheekily.

"It's good, isn't it?" Mr. Julian grinned as he tied a ribbon over the large box of chocolates and placing it in a bag. Elise nodded her head eagerly, licking at her fingers. Anna shifted Elise so she was holding her with one arm. While she was preoccupied, Mr. Julian quickly filled a small box with nougat centered chocolates and white-pink marbled chocolates and putting it in the bag as well. She payed Mr. Julian first before taking the bag. He went around the counter to assist Anna, opening the door for her.

"Thanks for the extras," Anna grinned before heading out. She pulled her hood back over her head as she headed towards the jewelers, known for making the royal family's crowns, tiaras, and jewelry. Once she got inside, she set the chocolate and Elise down first since her arms were starting to get tired. She went up to the woman behind the counter, her hand tightly holding Elise's.

"Good afternoon, Princess Anna. How may I be of service?" The woman asked, bowing slightly. "Is it for the Queen?"

"For the little one's mother." Anna said, not exactly revealing the whole truth. The woman didn't know. "She insisted on picking." Anna said, pointing at Elise who was marveling at how shiny everything was.

"Oh, I see." The woman smiled softly. She then asked Elise, "What are you looking for, sweetheart? A bracelet?" She asked. Elise nodded shyly, taking Anna's advice. The woman shuffled through drawers and crouched down to Elise's level to show her the collection.

"I have simple bracelets here, some are like cuffs and some are like chains." The woman said, pointing at each one. "And we also have mother-daughter ones here, so you two can match."

Elise wasn't too interested in the bracelets, but when she turned her head to the side, she saw a rustic looking copper pendant that caught her attention. She walked over to it and asked to see it up close, which the woman gladly complied with. Anna was currently sitting down on a chair, the small box of chocolates on her lap and discreetly eating the nougat centered chocolates one by one as she watched Elise with a hawk's eye.

Elise examined the pendant, tracing the intricate flower engravings on the front. The lady unceremoniously took the pendant from her and showed her that it could be opened.

"It's a locket. You can put your picture here, and then you can put your mother's picture right next to it. We can also engrave your and your mother's name on the inside if you would like." The woman informed her, and Elise nodded vigorously. Anna, sensing that she was needed, walked over to them, wiping all traces of chocolate from her mouth.

"You found something?" Anna asked, crouching down. Elise showed her the locket and smiled. "Not bad. Are you gonna get it engraved?" The little girl nodded and gave it to the woman, who immediately started polishing the pocket to bring out a subtle shine.

"What are you gonna put on the locket?" Anna asked, picking Elise up. The woman opened the locket so she could designate the names.

"Elise," Elise said, tapping the left side. "El-" before she could finish, Anna cut her off by saying, "Mama. She meant 'mama' on the right."

"Alright, I'll have it done immediately. Would you like for us to call a carriage?" The woman asked, starting to prepare her engraving tools.

"That would be lovely, thank you." Anna said. They had walked a good distance from the castle, and Anna was tired from walking while carrying both Elise and her gifts. The woman went out to the doorman and asked him to call a carriage, and he did so immediately.

Anna and Elise waited for a good thirty minutes for the engraving to be done. While waiting, they finished the small box of chocolates that Mr. Julian sneaked in the bag. The woman came to them and showed them her handicraft, waiting for approval. A beautiful penmanship was etched onto the metal. Though Elise still could not read, she thought it looked pretty and allowed the woman to pack it in a gift box.

Anna paid a modest sum, surprising her a bit. When they entered the carriage the shop called for, the sun was already beginning to set. Chocolates and locket on their laps, and Elise snuggled right next to Anna, the horse started trotting towards the castle.

"Elise, if I could just ask, you've been with us for quite some time now. Why is it that you still call Elsa . . . well, Elsa?" Anna asked, berating herself for being a tad bit too blunt. Elise shrugged her shoulders.

"Don't you want to call her mama?" Anna asked, a bit more confident this time, but started to regret cutting Elise off when she was about to say Elsa's name in the jewelry store. Elise looked at Anna with longing eyes as she nodded her head. She put her arm around the girl right when the carriage went over an unearthed cobblestone.

"Why don't you call her that then?" Anna pushed. Elise looked a bit uncertain, but when Anna nodded her head in confirmation, her eyes twinkled with happiness.

"I can?" Elise whispered excitedly, her voice almost reverent. And then it hit Anna. This girl had been hiding what she wanted the most because she didn't know if she was allowed to. Anna gave Elise a small squeeze.

"Of course you can. I think she'd love you that much more!" Anna said, and then an idea came into mind. "Actually, I think I have something planned."

* * *

When the carriage arrived at the castle, Kai and Gerda immediately helped the pair in going down the carriage and unloading their purchases.

"Milady, your sister is worried sick. I daresay there is a blizzard inside the castle right now." Kai informed Anna, and she immediately shoved the things they bought in Gerda's hands.

"Please bring these up to my quarters. Place them just by the dresser. I'll deal with Elsa." Anna said, picking Elise up and entering the castle. The temperature was extremely low, snow angrily whirling around the main hall, causing her to hug Elise closer to her body. She could see a faint figure, most probably Elsa, in the distance pacing back and forth.

"Elsa, we're back. Could you stop the blizzard, please, it's cold enough outside!" Anna yelled, and the snow immediately stopped. Elsa ran towards them, quickly taking Elise in her arms.

"I was worried sick about you two! You said that you were just going to play outside." Elsa asked hastily, kissing Elise's forehead. "I was done with the paperwork early and I thought I'd join you two but you were nowhere to be seen."

"Oh, we headed out because I wanted to show Elise the dessert shop we like. Don't worry, we kept ourselves incognito. I'm sorry for not telling you." Anna said, sharing a look with Elise.

Elsa exhaled loudly through her nose. "Fine, but inform me the next time you leave the premises."

"Will do."

* * *

"Happy birthday, Elsa!" Anna yelled, jumping on Elsa's bed with Elise laughing loudly. Elsa never kept her door locked since she swore to Anna that she wouldn't; not again. Elsa covered her head with a pillow, groaning loudly as she flopped on her stomach.

"I wasn't born until noon." Elsa muttered, trying to sneak in a few more minutes of sleep.

"No one cares about that detail! Come on, open your gifts!" Anna grinned. Elise was chanting beside her, "Open, open, open!"

With heaps of effort, Elsa sat upright, propping her back against the headboard. She rubbed the tiredness from her eyes and parted her wavy hair to one side.

"Me first!" Anna grinned, handing her sister a large parcel. Elsa ripped the paper and opened the box to see random little trinkets such as a scarf, a carrot, sheet music and a lot more.

"They're all things that remind me of you. I also have a letter there, explaining why and what." Anna added, waiting for her sister's reaction. Elsa laughed at her quirkiness and opened her arms out to hug her, which she gladly accepted.

"Thank you." Elsa smiled thoughtfully, replacing the cover of the box. Anna handed another one to her, and Elsa stared at her sister in confusion.

"This one's from Kristoff." Anna clarified. Elsa removed the crude wrapping and saw that it was a wooden sculpture of her, standing regally in her ice dress and side braid.

"He said that ice would melt easily, so he tried his hand at wood carving." Anna explained.

"Where is Kristoff, by the way?" Elsa asked. Elise crawled her way towards Elsa's lap, and Elsa wrapped her arms around her daughter instinctively.

"Oh, he's outside the door. He was scared that you might not like it. Plus, this is your personal quarters. He wouldn't want to intrude." Anna supplied. Elsa smiled.

"Thank you for the lovely gift, Kristoff. I think it looks wonderful." Elsa said loudly enough to be heard outside.

"You are welcome, your majesty." Kristoff replied through the closed door. Anna handed Elise's gifts for Elsa to her. Elise looked at Anna, doubt evident on her face, but Anna smiled encouragingly.

Elise looked up, just as Elsa looked down on her, and all fear was thrown out the window. With a beaming smile, Elise lisped, "Happy birthday, Mama."

Elsa felt like she was hearing things, like her mind was not really coordinating with her today. Looking directly into her daughter's eyes, she said, "Can you say that again, Elise? What did you call me?"

Shyly this time, Elise wrapped her arms around Elsa's middle and looked up at her. "You're my mama."

Tears started to well up in Elsa's eyes, bring a hand up to her mouth as she was overwhelmed with emotion. Little snowflakes scattered the air, falling on random places. She hugged Elise tightly, peppering her little face with kisses as she whispered, "Yes, little love. I'm your mama."

Elise laughed and grabbed the large chocolate box, dragging it since it was too heavy. Elsa took this time to wipe away her tears, though she was smiling like no tomorrow. "Thank you," Elsa mouthed, and Anna couldn't help but grin back.

A very happy birthday indeed.

* * *

**Can't help myself. This one just came to me.**

**Please do tell me what you think. Wishing you all the best!**


	4. Chapter 4

"Mama, park! Park!" Elise yelled, trudging through the thick layer of yellow and orange leaves towards the open space while dragging Elsa with her. Despite Anna and Kristoff's (and even Olaf's) offers on bringing Elise to a nearby park, Elsa politely declined. She wanted to be the first one who brings her there.

As children, Elsa and Anna were extremely sheltered, not at all given the freedom to interact and socialize with children their age on a daily basis. Elsa didn't want that for her daughter, even though she wasn't royalty. The body guard insisted on coming along, just in case something was to happen to any of them.

Elsa, knowing that she would stick out like a sore thumb in her ice dress during autumn, decided to cover up with a long sleeved dress in a deep shade of violet, stockings and lace up boots, but her hair was still in a loose side braid while Elise wore a brighter, thicker dress, bloomers underneath and oxfords.

"I'll just be here, Elise," Elsa said, sitting on a nearby bench. "Try and make new friends, okay?" She added. Elise nodded before running off to a group of children who were playing this game where they chase each other. She had no idea what the motives behind the game were, or what it tried to promote. It was all strange to her.

Elsa was sitting alone on the bench, and other mothers were sitting together on the other benches. They were most probably just chattering about mundane things, like how their child lost their first tooth, how they all encountered sleepless nights, how they never get to do what they want to do. Well, probably. Elsa only assumed, since they weren't staring at the Queen with her nose buried in a book.

It felt extremely _normal_ doing this (sans the body guard)- being able to accompany her daughter to the park was something that she never would have imagined herself doing in ten years, and yet here she was.

Elsa sensed a presence beside her, and taking the opportunity to socialize, she put down the book to take a look at her new seat mate. She wasn't anyone who Elsa had seen before. "Hello," Elsa greeted, trying to spark a conversation. When the lady looked up at Elsa, her eyes widened as she immediately stood up and bowed.

"Oh, I'm sorry for sitting here, your majesty, I wasn't aware that-" The lady prattled on, clearly flustered.

"It's alright, really! Please, take a seat." Elsa smiled at her warmly. She knew that she had the woman cornered, but there were no other seats available. The woman thanked her before sitting down, as far away from a Elsa as possible.

"Oh, come on, I won't bite. Relax." Elsa laughed, trying to lighten the mood. The other mothers were already glancing their way, trying to figure out why the Queen was outside the premises of her castle, without an event to attend to. "I am presuming you are here with your child?"

"Just like everyone else, your majesty." The lady replied with a smile, loosening up, but only a bit. "I am Sara, by the way. And my child's Frederick; the little boy in the green sweater." She pointed at the group, and Elsa spotted Sara's son running around, curly blonde hair flying in the wind. "If I may ask, your majesty, what brings you here?"

With a small but proud smile, Elsa pointed at her little girl, spotting her immediately. "My daughter, Elise. She's the one in the light blue dress."

The woman gaped her mouth open, but Elsa continued. "I adopted her not so long ago." Realization dawned on Sara's face, and then blushed a deep shade of red.

"I apologize if this may sound direct, your highness," Sara said, then carried on when she saw Elsa nod her head. "But how come you never told the public?"

"I don't know, really." Elsa stated, thinking it over. "But I wouldn't want to shock her by presenting her before a large crowd. What kind of trauma would that bring her?" She added, a slightly bitter laugh escaping her lips.

"I see your point," Sara said. The two had nothing else to talk about, but the silence after their chat wasn't awkward.

Meanwhile, the group of kids where Elise joined in were currently casting her out in all of their games, saying that she was too little and too dumb to understand. She didn't let it dampen her mood as she continued to run around, just enjoying the breeze and the company of the other good kids.

"I play, I play!" Elise chimed in, eager to join in at least one game. The older ones shared a look, and then one of them said, "Fine, the new kid can join."

The kids played tag, maximizing the space they had. When one of the older girls spotted Elise toddling with all of her might, she easily caught up to her and pushed her down roughly in a dirt mound, yelling, "Tag, you're it!"

Elise pushed herself up from the ground, dusting her face and dress off from her fall, but only managed to spread it due to her dirty hands. She couldn't keep the tears at bay as they fell one by one, creating streak lines through the dirt on her cheeks.

"Aww, poor little baby. Are you gonna go run to your mommy?" The girl teased in a baby-ish tone, laughing with the girls behind her.

Elsa saw everything that happened and she ironically felt her blood boil over as she froze the nearest tree, trying to control her anger She couldn't believe the nerve of these children!

"Mama, mama!" Elise wailed loudly, running towards Elsa. She buried her face in her mother's dress, crying it out. She picked her daughter up from the ground, cleaning her face with her free hand. Sara offered a small face towel, in which Elsa graciously took and cleaned Elise's face more thoroughly. She figured that she would give her a bath when they come home.

The children were all wide eyed and extremely guilty, not knowing that the kid they were picking on was the queen's daughter. The girl who pushed Elise now gulped, tears starting to form in her eyes and began reciting the Our Father.

"Hush, now, little love. Mama's here," Elsa soothed, rubbing circles on her back. Elise hid her dirty face in Elsa's neck, her tiny body racking with sobs. The mothers were staring dumbfounded, all in shock from learning the queen's purpose in the park. "Who pushed you?"

When Elise shook her head, Elsa tried coaxing it out. "Mama won't hurt her, Elise." Elsa promised, but she had the urge to do so. "Just tell me who."

Elise sniffled and pointed towards the girl who looked like she was about to poop in her bloomers right now. Elsa marched over to the group of children, and they all bowed and curtsied. She didn't mind them and went directly towards the bully.

"What is your name?" Elsa asked sternly, making sure that she stood her full height to further intimidate the girl. She looked to be around nine or ten, with very tomboyish features.

"O-ophel-lia, y-your majesty." The girl stammered, not at all daring to look up at the queen.

"Ophelia, if I may ask, who told you that pushing younger children into dirt mounds is acceptable behavior? I even saw you laughing!" Elsa seethed, her voice low and calm, but with enough venom to make the girl ingrain it in her memory. At that time, Ophelia's mother came to the scene, but didn't have any power to intervene.

"No one, your majesty. I'm sorry, your majesty." Ophelia answered solemnly and hurriedly before running towards her mother in tears. Elsa turned to look at the two, and then hugging Elise in her arms tighter.

"Do you want to go back home now, little love?" Elsa asked, and she felt Elise nod eagerly in her arms. Now that all the mothers and their children knew about Elise, Elsa knew that they were going to respect Elise more, if ever they came back, that is. It was the royal touch.

"I sincerely apologize for my daughter's behavior. It won't happen again, your highness." Ophelia's mother quickly apologized on her daughter's behalf. Elsa nodded before walking towards the bench where she was previously seated, collecting her book and picking up the face towel, returning it to Sara.

"Thank you, Sara," Elsa said sincerely, placing the towel in Sara's hand before walking away, the bodyguard in tow.

"Would you like me to carry little miss, your majesty?" The bodyguard asked, seeing that Elsa had started waddling ever since Elise had put on a little more weight, but it wasn't stopping her from carrying her everywhere. She shook her head.

"It is quite alright," Elsa declined. "But here, kindly bring my book," she added, handing it over to him. Elsa walked a little forward, resting her chin on Elise's head as she walked.

"Would you like to take a bath once we get back?" Elsa asked. She felt Elise nod against her neck.

"Mama?" Elise said, making Elsa's insides warm. That tiny little word was enough to render Elsa completely powerless.

"Yes, little love?"

"Mama, park to-morrow?"

* * *

**Ah, kids. Don't know when to stop. This chapter's shorter than usual, but I sort of like how this turned out.**

**Please to tell me what you think. Wishing you all the best!**


	5. Chapter 5

Anna knocked her signature knock, her heart heavy with the news she was about to tell her sister.

"Come in, Anna," Elsa said from inside, and when Anna opened the door, she saw her sister surrounded by stacks of books and periodicals of various topics, ranging from parenting to architecture.

"Hey, Elsa! So, how are you?" Anna stalled, her guilt eating her alive. Elsa raised an eyebrow as she looked up from her book, slightly confused at her sister's stranger-than-normal behavior.

"I am doing quite well," Elsa replied, playing along. "And you?"

"Great! Just, great. I mean, I'm not great-great, but I'm _feeling_ great, y'know," Anna rambled, beads of swearing starting to roll down from her forehead.

"Alright, Anna. Tell me what's wrong." Elsa said, putting down her book and coming over to Anna. A thought then dawned on her, and she made no hesitation to voice it out. "You're taking care of Elise, right? Where is she right now?"

"About that, Elsa," Anna started, a nervous smile dancing on her lips, but tried controlling it so would not worry her sister. Elsa smiled softly, believing that is was another one of her daughter's surprises.

"She's waiting outside the door, isn't she?" Elsa giggled excitedly, walking over towards the door and opening it, but instead of her daughter's cheeky smile, she was welcomed by no one. Embarrassment washed over her, but it was immediately overtaken by concern. "Anna, where's Elise?"

"That's what I came here for," Anna revealed, her voice shrinking. "I sort of don't know where she is right now."

That was when Elsa saw red. Anna covered her ears, but her sister's voice was loud and clear.

"_You lost my daughter?!"_ Elsa seethed, the temperature in her study dropping instantly. The windows frosted over and the walls were littered with shards of ice. She paced back and forth, something she usually did when she was in great stress.

"Kristoff and I were playing hide and seek with her. Turns out, Elise is a pretty good hider." Anna said, trying to lighten the mood. Elsa's face was hard as stone, her eyebrows looking permanently scrunched in anger and her teeth gritted. "But we already told the guards and the servants, even Kristoff to look for her. I mean, she's only like two and a half, she couldn't have gotten far!"

_Two and two-thirds_, Elsa wanted to correct her, but decided to let it be. With a deep breath, she defrosted the whole room before going out, Anna trailing closely behind. Her long string of apologies fell on deaf ears, so she decided to talk to her properly once she had cooled down, pun unintended.

Once Elsa reached the grand hall, she turned back and said, "Anna, stay here. Take charge while I am gone."

Before Anna could say another word, Elsa stepped out of the doors and started her search. She went through the gardens, the area by the fountains, the empty lot behind the castles, and even the stables, all the while yelling out her daughter's name. Desperate, she went out of the confines of the castle and searched. She asked every other person who walked on by, and they shook their head politely before carrying on, wondering if their queen had already lost her mind.

"Anybody, could you please help me?" Elsa asked passer-bys, not caring at what they thought of her at the moment. "Has anyone seen a little girl, brown hair, blue eyes, around two feet tall?"

When almost everyone responded that they haven't seen her daughter, it took all her might to appear composed, but her heart ached to have Elise near her. Tears rolled down her cheeks, running back to the castle, hoping that one of the guards or servants have already found her. They have searched every room of the castle, as well as the the outside of the castle, going farther than Elsa did.

Much to her dismay, they were all unsuccessful.

* * *

"Snowman!" Elise giggled, hugging the compacted mounds of snow but then immediately retreated when it moved.

"Aww, why'd you pull away?" The snowman sulked. He opened his stick arms for another try, and Elise, as accepting as a child could be, embraced him, both laughing as they hugged each other.

"Well, hello there. I'm Olaf, and I enjoyed your warm hug." He introduced, grinning as he did. The clearing they were both in was a beautiful meadow with green grass, an abundance of flowers and tall trees, almost reaching the sky, as Olaf would put it. His little flurry over him produced more snow than usual, working extra hard so as not to allow him to melt.

"I'm Elise," She replied, smiling her signature cheeky smile.

"Hey, you really should be with your parents. Where are they, anyway?" Olaf asked, taking her hand and leading her through the woods and towards 'where the people usually are', stopping near town square. Olaf presumed that the girl was from Arendelle; she couldn't have come from anywhere else.

"Mama," Elise blurted out, not to help Olaf, but because she wanted to be near her mother now. She hasn't seen Elsa since last night when she said good night to her, and now she's missing her terribly. Olaf paused when he heard this and thought for a while.

"Alright, let me sit on this. Who are the people I know who are called Mama?" Olaf thought long and hard, despite the fact that he didn't have a brain. Elise giggled at this. "There's Mama's Bakery, but I'm not really allowed there. Hmm..."

They were a good distance away from the castle, far enough to track a route towards it, but not too far to be reached by foot.

"Noooo, Mama's name not Mama." Elise corrected, laughing a bit. "Mama's name Elsa." Olaf widened his eyes in recognition, gasping when he heard his creator's name.

"Elsa's your mother?!" Olaf asked incredulously, his stick hands squeezing Elise's cheeks. "She never told me about you!"

Elise stared blankly, not exactly sure what or how to respond. Olaf took her hand and made a beeline towards the castle. "Come on, Elsa's this way!"

* * *

"What if she got kidnapped? What if she ran away?" Elsa conjured up a long list of things that could have possibly happened to her daughter. She paced back and forth, her arms wrapped around her stomach.

"I highly doubt that, your majesty." Kai reassured her. The guards were sent out once again, telling them to not give up until Elise was found. Despite having her gloves on, Elsa's powers were out of control since the walls were decorated with jagged spikes of ice, gradually enlarging and multiplying.

"What if she got hurt? What if..." Elsa trailed on, not even daring to continue. "Oh, dear goodness, what kind of mother am I?" Elsa wailed, finally allowing the best of her emotions to get to her as she dropped to the floor, sobbing loudly.

"You're a great mother," Anna butted in by the door, eavesdropping on her sister's mostly one-sided conversation. She went over to Elsa and knelt down next to her. "She absolutely adores you. It was completely my fault, Elsa. I'm really sorry that this happened. I'm not even expecting you to forgive me; just promise me that you won't shut me out."

Elsa wishes she could say that everything was alright, but the problem was, they weren't. "I swear to you I won't. Not again." Elsa settled on that promise, hopefully appeasing her little sister, wrapping her arms around her to confirm it.

The large door opened, the orange sunset illuminating the grand hall. Elsa and Anna immediately jerked their heads towards the door, both extremely hopeful that they had already found Elise. As if the gods were listening, Olaf came in, Elise following him inside.

"Elise!" Elsa cried out from her position on the floor, opening her arms out for her daughter, and Elise all but ran into them, hugging her just as tight. Elsa kissed her head repeatedly, holding her closer. "Oh, dear goodness, I'm glad you're safe."

"Can I join?" Olaf asked, and when Elsa laughed and opened her arm to welcome him, he immediately jumped in, and Anna joined in as well. When the group hug finally broke down, Elsa stood up with Elise in her arms, excusing them both before retreating to her quarters.

"You had no idea how worried I was about you," Elsa started. She removed Elise's shoes and cloak first before laying her down on her bed, and Elsa did the same. Propping herself on her side, she put her hand over her daughter's stomach, rubbing circles with her thumb. "Please don't wander out like that ever again, alright?"

Elise closed her eyes, relaxing at Elsa's little tummy rub. "Okay, Mama."

Elsa moved closer to her daughter so she was directly looking down on her. She stopped her tummy rubs. Humming a soft tune, she lifted her hand and then very carefully, she ghosted her finger over Elise's face. She lightly traced her forehead, her light purple eyelids. She traced her nose, her rosy cheeks, her tiny little lips. It was as if she was memorizing her face by touch.

Elsa resumed her tummy rubs. Elise smiled at the sensation, trying to open her heavy eyelids to look at her mother. Elsa's eyes were so caring and warm, and when she met her daughter's drowsy eyes, she smiled down on her.

"Sleep, little love." Elsa whispered, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

Elise yawned, cutely, if Elsa might add, and then whispered, "I love you, Mama."

It was the first time she had said it. Elsa's grin was no match for the Cheshire cat. She cried once again, but this time, they were of happiness, not grief. With a shaky voice, Elsa replied, "I love you too, Elise. I love you so much."

* * *

**I was supposed to write something else, but when Guest (Twtfan01) suggested this idea, I couldn't say no. So, credits goes to him/her for the idea. I hope this reaches your expectations.**

**Also, allow me to enjoy Baby Elise for a tiny while. We'll see her age, no worries. **

**Please do tell me what you think. Wishing you all the best!**


	6. Chapter 6

Elsa sneezed, little snowflakes blowing out from her breath as she did. She groaned loudly as she collapsed against her mattress, shielding her eyes with her arm from the sunlight coming from her window.

It has been a while since Elsa had been sick, and the doctor said that she had caught the circulating flu. He reassured her that she would feel better after a couple of days, as long as she didn't do anything strenuous, such as do paperwork, play with her loved ones or run a whole kingdom. Y'know, the usual.

Although the sickness took a toll on her body, it had also taken a toll on her powers as well. When she'd conjure up a teacup or make it only slightly colder in the room, she would end up with a mug without a handle and the room's temperature would either drop to a negative or rise to match the temperature outside.

"Milady, it's time for breakfast." Gerda knocked, feeling the cold seeping through the small slit under the door. She heard Elsa sneeze, and then groan loudly.

"I'm not feeling to well, Gerda," Elsa tried projecting her voice, but given that her throat was hoarse and was insanely congested, her voice sounded weak and muffled. "Kindly leave my breakfast by the door."

"Should I tell your sister and little miss?" Gerda asked. Elsa nodded, and then realized that she couldn't see her.

"Yes, please. Tell them not to come by. I don't want them getting sick as well." Elsa informed, sneezing in between words, more snowflakes puffing out. She was paler than normal, which she believed to be physically impossible, and she couldn't stand up, or else she would either be hit by vertigo or faint.

She flopped on her stomach, lazily waving her hand in the air to see if she could conjure up snow so she wouldn't feel so warm, but ended up with a bucket made of ice next to her bed. Sighing, she closed her eyes, trying to let sleep overcome her.

She had been sleeping for what seemed like minutes, but she had actually been unconscious up until late noon time. Feeling extremely lightheaded, most probably from hunger and the sickness, she fought the vertigo when she stood up and opened the door to pick up her meal, not caring if it was already cold.

The tray shaking in her hands, she pushed on walking back towards her bed but didn't succeed. The last thing she heard was the metal tray falling to the floor before darkness washed over her.

* * *

A few minutes after Elsa's fall, Anna was walking towards her sister's room, disregarding completely what Gerda told her. She left Elise in her room beforehand, not too keen on risking her health. She noticed that Elsa's door was open, and she took that as an open invitation.

"Elsa, how are-," Anna paused mid sentence when she saw Elsa's body lying on the floor, not moving. Her hands flew up to her mouth so as to help bite back her scream. Despite Elsa being a lightweight, she had difficulty lifting her sister up on the bed. She put Elsa's her head under a pillow and made sure she looked comfortable first before she ran towards the castle doctor, too much in a hurry to close the door.

Elise was stuck in her room, trying to play by herself but she didn't enjoy it as much as when she was playing with either Elsa, Anna, Olaf, anyone, really. Anna made her stay in her room because Elsa was sick.

The problem was that she didn't quite grasp the concept of sickness very well. She knew that people wouldn't be playing as much because they are always tired and sneezing and sometimes crying and vomiting, but she didn't know that it was contagious. She just thought that sick people wanted to be alone.

Wanting to surprise her mama, knowing that it usually made her feel better, she snuck out of the door, checking if the coast was clear before anything else. She walked the short distance towards Elsa's room, and saw that the door was wide open. Elsa was sleeping, so she couldn't exactly surprise her by attacking her awake; that would be rude.

She tiptoed quietly towards her mother, removing her shoes first before clambering up the large bed. Elsa's face looked extremely peaceful, almost angelic, even. Elise stared at her mother for a short while before remembering her purpose for going in her bed chamber in the first place.

"Mama, wake up." Elise said softly, shaking her arm a bit. This would usually do the trick, but Elsa didn't move a muscle. She thought that Elsa was playing tricks on her, so she laughed a shook her again. "Mama, wake up, wake up."

When Elsa still didn't move, Elise started to panic, shaking her mother's arm harder. "Mama!" She yelled, over and over. Elsa's eyes didn't open, nor did she move her head or her arm or anything. Elise, afraid of what was happening, started to cry loudly, hugging Elsa's middle, resting her head on her stomach as her tiny little body shook with sobs.

* * *

"Quickly, she's right here," Anna said, ushering servants and the doctor towards Elsa's room. When Anna saw that Elise was right beside Elsa, she debated herself whether or not to put her in her room or to let her stay there. When she saw Elise sobbing over her sister, her mind had decided.

The servants quickly cleaned up the food that had splattered on the floor, mopping and scrubbing as fast as humanly possible so that they could leave the queen to rest.

"How long has she been like this?" The doctor asked, quickly making his way over to the queen to check her pulse and blood pressure. Her pulse was strong, her blood pressure was a little off, but it was nothing too drastic. Her temperature reached up to 39 degrees, which was extremely shocking since Elsa's body temperature was normally at 27.

"I have no idea. I just came here and saw her on the floor." Anna informed the doctor. He nodded his head once.

Elise stayed the entire time they were poking and prodding over Elsa, ignoring them and staying in her own little bubble. "Wake up, Mama," she would whisper occasionally. Her tears were coming along steadily, but she tried to compose herself. She rubbed circles over her mother's stomach, thinking since she likes her tummy rubs, Elsa would like them too.

"I have diagnosed her majesty earlier with the flu, and I stand strong on my prognosis. She has been overworking, I would presume, possibly being the reason why her body shut down. She wouldn't be out for too long. Please call for me again once she wakes up. Good day, Princess Anna." The doctor said, bowing before leaving the room.

"Elise, I know you don't want to be away from her but I really don't want you getting sick too." Anna said, walking over to the bed to pick her up, but Elise wouldn't have it. She wrapped her arms tighter around Elsa's middle, her little eyes looking up at Anna, almost challenging her to take her away.

Right at that moment, Elsa's eyebrows scrunched up, her hand flying up to her head to help numb the throbbing. She blinked multiple times, trying to adjust her eyes to her surroundings.

"Oh, no, you don't," Anna reprimanded, pushing Elsa back down when she made a move to sit up. Elsa sighed, and then sneezed, quickly turning away away from Elise and Anna.

"Anna, I don't want you or Elise to get sick as well. Please, go. I'll be fine." Elsa argued. She closed her eyes, waiting for them to leave, but she didn't hear footsteps or a door closing.

"Fine? I found you unconscious on the floor. I don't think that's fine." Anna retorted, her voice firm. Elsa shook her head, and then heard her stomach grumble. She realized she hasn't eaten since last night, and despite knowing that she probably wouldn't be able to hold anything down, she had to at least do something to silence her stomach.

"Mama hungry?" Elise asked, hearing the grumble. Elsa smiled softly, seeing that her daughter was doing exactly what she does to her. The sensation was very calming. _No wonder Elise likes it when I do it to her,_ Elsa mused, relaxing a bit.

"A little." Elsa replied.

"Do you have anything particular in mind you want to eat?" Anna asked, pulling the string by Elsa's bedside that connected to the bell that rang in the kitchen.

"Warm broth would be lovely. I don't think I could hold in anything solid for a little while." Elsa said, still polite as ever, even though she's bed ridden and sick. She then turned to Elise. "Would you like anything to eat, little love? You'll have to eat it in your room, though." She asked, raising her hand to stroke Elise's hair.

Elise shook her head. When one of the servants came up, Anna had requested for a bowl of chicken broth and a plate of orange slices. Elsa raised an eyebrow, and Anna only shrugged. "Hey, if I'm taking care of you, I gotta load up on my vitamin C."

"Elise, you really shouldn't be here," Elsa said, propping herself against a pillow so her torso would be slightly elevated, but not exactly sitting up. "It's not fun being sick."

Elise paid no attention to her as she rested her head on Elsa's stomach, no signs of moving away. "Alright, then, but don't say I didn't warn you."

When the food arrived, Anna took the tray from the servant, closing the door behind her with her foot. She took her plate of orange slices and placed it on a nearby table before heading towards Elsa. Elise sat up so Anna could place the tray on Elsa's lap.

Elise immediately took charge, much to Elsa and Anna's amusement. She tucked the edge of the napkin into her nightgown, using it as a makeshift bib. Elise took a spoonful of broth, blowing on it gently since she sometimes saw Elsa doing that, and then lifted it up to Elsa's lips.

"It's alright, little love, I can do it," Elsa said, taking the spoon from her. The broth was exactly what she needed. It was light enough so she could hold it in, and it would fill her up just enough to power through the afternoon. Elsa was about to take another spoonful when Elise snatched the spoon from her hands.

"Mama, say 'ahh'," Elise said, using her mother's usual feeding routine for her. With a small chuckle, she opened her mouth and allowed her daughter to feed her. Anna looked on, laughing along with the two. Never in her life has she seen Elsa with her eyes that bright and a smile so genuine. It was different, but it was a good different.

Elise was determined to make a Elsa finish the bowl, but made she made her stop feeding her after a few more sips. Elsa looked down and saw that she had only consumed only half of the bowl. _Huh, turns out I wasn't that hungry_, she thought.

"I'm full now, little love," Elsa said politely, removing her makeshift bib, patting it on the sides of her mouth. "Thank you."

Anna cleaned up, placing the tray outside the door. She went to the bathroom and took a face towel, running it under cold water before putting it over Elsa's forehead.

"Oh, that feels nice," Elsa commented thoughtfully, closing her eyes to let sleep take over her once again.

"Come on, Elise. Let's give your mama some space," Anna whispered, picking up her drowsy niece and carrying her back to her room.

* * *

**So many requests, I love it! This one was something that popped up in my mind; it wouldn't leave me until I wrote it down. I have your requests queued, so I'll just be writing the rest of the chapters based on your requests. (However, if I don't write your request, that probably means that I couldn't/wouldn't because of reasons. Don't be offended, though. I still love you.)**

**Please do tell me what you think, and keep those requests coming in! Wishing you all the best!**


	7. Chapter 7

Elise wasn't exactly a spoiled child, but she had her moments. Nevertheless, Elsa was quite proud at how she had raised her. Her daughter was kind, courteous and polite (they were still working on that detail), but she was as headstrong and as spunky as a four year old can be. When Elise would ask for something, may it be an extra serving of fruit and cream or a new doll, she would say please and thank you, her smile genuine and gracious. But given Elsa's status, she couldn't help but give her daughter only the best of the best.

"Mama?" Elise asked by the door, her little head peeking in. "Can we play?"

Elsa looked composed from where Elise was standing because her back was facing her. In reality, she was dealing with a huge amount of stress from the mountains of paperwork in front of her, filled with trade negotiations, contracts that need authorization, court documents, even proposals, both project and suitor.

"Not now, Elise." Elsa tried hiding the frustration that was forcing its way out. "After I'm done with this."

Not sensing her slightly pointed tone, she carried on. "But mama,"

"I said not now." Elsa cut her off, her tone sharper. Elise was taken aback since she had never heard her mother ever raise her voice at her, but she tried not to let that affect her that much.

"Okay," Elise said dejectedly, removing her head from the slit before closing the door. Elsa haven't played with her for a week now. They only met during the mornings, mealtimes and night times, and that's usually when Elise is too drowsy to appreciate her mother's presence.

Eager to find something to do, she went inside her room, not bothering to close the door and sat down on a small chair, her usual seat when she was having her tea parties. It was usually just her and her dolls, but sometimes Anna or Olaf would join in. Elsa joined in once, and she thought that it was the best one because not only was her mama present, but instead of plastic food and pretend tea, they had real tea cakes, scones, pastries and hot chocolate (they both never really liked tea anyways).

Elsa never came back for another tea party because of her duties, but Elise said that a chair was always empty just in case. She didn't mind that she had to bite into plastic macarons; she liked playing pretend, but sometimes, she liked the real thing better. Her imagination in overdrive, she thought that she had heard a faint but distinct little whimper from among her dolls. She zoned in on Christine, thinking that her beaded eyes looked slightly glazed.

She took her favorite rag doll from the chair opposite to her and held her doll just like how Elsa held her. She rocked from side to side, humming a little lullaby as she did, trying to copy her mama's soothing techniques.

"It's okay, little love." Elise whispered to Christine, stroking her threaded hair and clearing away her 'tears' with a finger. When she thought that Christine was finally appeased, she put her back on her seat with a little kiss in the doll's forehead.

"Hmm, what to do..." Elise wondered out loud, her chubby finger tapping on her chin. She surveyed the room until she came across a box filled with brushes and colored tubes. It was gift to her from Elsa and Anna's cousin from Corona, saying that 'a little girl should always have a paint set' and even told her that she used to paint murals on the wall all the time.

With an excited smile, she took the box of brushes and paints and went out, sitting before the wall that was in front of her room. Without another thought, she started on her first masterpiece.

* * *

With a relieved sigh, Elsa signed the last document that needed her approval. She segregated the project proposals from the suitor proposals, instantly disposing of the latter pile. Her hand was aching from having it hooked on the quill for so long, but at least she had nothing to worry about for the next few days.

Once she stood up, she stretched her hands high above her head, hearing her joints pop. She walked and opened the door to her daughter sitting a few feet away from her, painting a slightly large mural on wallpaper that hasn't been touched for generations.

She was extremely surprised; Elise knew better than to do this. Elsa wasn't exactly angry, but she wasn't too thrilled either.

"Elise, what do you think you're doing?" Elsa asked sternly, marching right up to Elise. She didn't pick her up. Elise looked up at her mother, the small smile plastered on her face fading when she saw her cold expression.

"Painting," Elise answered simply, dipping her brush in a small cylinder filled with white paint. Before she could make another stroke, Elsa caught her wrist, making Elise look up at her.

"Stop what you're doing this instant. You're not supposed to vandalize on these walls," Elsa lectured, her eyes staring straight at Elise's. "See that? You destroyed the wall paper!"

Elise suddenly yelped, tears starting to stream down her face. She tried to tug her wrist free but it was to no avail. When Elsa looked down, she saw that frost had circled around her little wrist, the skin underneath turning blue and purple. Panicking, Elsa immediately released her hand from her wrist and defrosted it, trying to absorb as much cold as possible. The harsh colors were still there.

"I'm so sorry, Elise," Elsa started, trying to rub away the soreness, but Elise snatched her hand back, whimpering as she did. "Let me help you-,"

Sobbing, Elise ran back inside her room, opening the door with her good hand before slamming it shut. Elsa just stood there, both in shock and in fear. She had reprimanded her daughter for the first time. She went out and tried to be a good parent, but in the end, she ended up hurting her.

She hurt her.

She didn't know what to do; she promised herself that no harm would ever come to her, and yet, it turned out that she was the one who brought it to her. She looked down at her hands, silently cursing them. She didn't have as much control over them as she thought. She then looked at Elise's mural, and she tried not to let the tears spill over.

It had a two figures, the small one with brown strokes for hair and wore a purple dress, a shaky black line in between the two figures. Elsa presumed they were holding hands. The larger figure was far more detailed; it had blue eyes and red lips, off white strokes criss-crossing each other to form a braid. The figure was wearing a light blue dress with her unconnected hand in the air, little white and blue dots shooting out from it.

Elsa realized that Elise painted the two of them. A sob caught in her throat, swallowing to force it back down. She looked longingly at Elise's room before retreating back to her room, clicking the lock in place.

* * *

Elise carefully took her old suitcase from under the bed, trying not to further strain her wrist. She packed it with three dresses, two pairs of shoes, underwear, and all of her dolls and toys. She had difficulty in zipping it up with just one hand, but she was able to manage. She trudged towards her door, her heavy suitcase dragging behind her, and went out to the hallway. While she was walking down the long hall, she passed by Anna.

"What's with the suitcase?" Anna asked with a smile, and then widened her eyes in excitement. "Ooh, are you and Elsa going to have a sleepover in the ice castle?"

Elise shook her head, hiding her bruised wrist from Anna. "I'm running away."

Anna raised an eyebrow. "Really, now?"

Elise nodded her head. "Mama doesn't love me anymore."

Anna shook her head, kneeling down to meet her level. "And what makes you think that?"

"She's always busy and doesn't play with me or talk to me anymore." Elise said defiantly, focusing on the negatives. Anna wanted to fight with the child. She wanted to tell her how Elsa would sneak into Elise's room in the middle of the night just to make sure that she was sleeping alright. She wanted to tell her how many times Elsa had to cut or excuse herself from meetings just to kiss her scraped knee or to tuck her in bed. She wanted to tell her how ready Elsa was to sacrifice herself for her daughter.

"I see," Anna mused. She was gonna have to talk to Elsa. Anna kissed Elise on the cheek before hugging her. "Well, make sure to write to us if ever you miss us, alright?"

Elise nodded, slightly shocked and hurt that Anna was actually letting her go. Elise put her hand on the suitcase's handle and proceeded to drag it behind her. She walked slowly, trying to absorb everything.

Anna walked towards her sister's chamber, knocking her signature knock. She tried jiggling the handle, but when it didn't open, she felt anxiety creep through her body, but given the circumstances, she immediately shook that feeling away.

"Elsa! Haven't we talked about locking doors?" Anna yelled from outside Elsa's door. She smiled triumphantly when she heard footsteps coming closer, removing the lock and opening the door.

"Sorry, habit." Elsa mumbled, trudging towards her bed and falling back with a thud, curling back into a fetal position. The whole room was encased in ice, snowflakes suspended in the air.

"I'm assuming it's about Elise," Anna said, sitting on the edge of Elsa's bed. When Elsa winced at the sound of her daughter's name, Anna knew that whatever happened hit her really hard. "Tell me."

"I-I," Elsa started, her voice trembling. Spikes of ice appeared from the wall. "I hurt her. I h-hurt my baby."

"She looked fine when I saw her out in the hallway," Anna mused. Maybe she didn't notice it. Elsa carried on her ode to self-loathing.

"Not only have I been neglecting her, but I frosted her wrist earlier. If I kept my hand there for a few more seconds I could've given her a frostbite!" Elsa raged, her voice weak and words chopped up by hiccups.

"You're the Queen, Elsa. You don't control your schedule unless it's really, really urgent. And the wrist thing, you know it was an accident." Anna said, rubbing circles on her sister's back.

"I know that, but-,"

"No buts." Anna cut her off. "And speaking of buts, you have to get yours out of that bed and go after your daughter. She has a suitcase and is 'running away'." Anna said, putting air quotes on the words 'running away'. Elsa looked panicked, sitting up from her position on the bed.

"What?!" Elsa cried out, hastily putting on her shoes. Anna giggled.

"I don't think she'll be able to go too far, though. She loves you too much." Anna reassured, but it didn't calm Elsa's nerves. Rushing down the stairs and out of the gates, she saw Elise sitting by the fountains, holding her injured wrist.

Right at that moment, a carriage holding tons of supplies was passing by in front of Elise, the load shaking and moving to the side. Before the large load toppled over and crushed her, Elsa ran over to her, covering her small body with hers and created a thick shield of ice to protect them both.

Elsa opened her eyes after a little while, looking around and saw that the carriage had already went on its way, leaving the two alone. She looked down and saw that Elise still had her eyes closed.

"Are you alright, little love?" Elsa asked, sitting down against the fountain with Elise on her lap. Elise slowly opened her eyes and nodded before standing up. "I heard you were running away."

Elise looked ashamed for a little while, but when her wrist started to throb, she nodded her head.

"And where are you going to go?" Elsa challenged. Elise shrugged, propping up her heavy suitcase.

"Back to headmistress." Elise answered, her voice void of any emotion. "I'm not your real baby anyway. And you're not my real mama."

Elsa's heart was torn from her chest by the words Elise had said. She tried to stop the tears from spilling over, but it was to no use. "Elise, please look at me."

Elise complied. Her eyes were staring into Elsa's, waiting for her to say something. "Are there false mamas?" Elsa started. Elise shook her head, then Elsa carried on. "Then how am I not your real Mama, Elise? Don't all real mamas tuck their babies into bed and kiss them goodnight? Don't they teach them how to read and write, how to fix their hair and tie their shoes? Don't all real mamas love their babies?"

Elise nodded at every one of her questions, urging her to go on.

"Don't I do that to you?" Elsa asked, her voice cracking slightly. The took one of Elise's hands in hers, being very careful to keep her powers under control. "I may not be your mama by birth, Elise, but I am your mama by heart."

Elise, guilty of her fault, threw herself into her _real mama's_ arms and cried loudly, her sobs making her heave. Elsa held her tightly, crying a good deal as well.

"I'm sorry, Mama! I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Elise chanted, crying into Elsa's shoulder. She was sorry for the mural, for misunderstanding, for offending her by saying she wasn't her real mama. Elsa smiled through her tears, kissing her daughter's head.

"I'm sorry as well, little love." Elsa said, apologizing for not giving her much attention the past weeks and for hurting her most of all. "Especially for your wrist."

Elise nodded, too shaken up to speak. Elsa shifted Elise to one arm and picked up her relatively light suitcase, walking back inside the castle.

* * *

**This one was requested by lifelessgal! I had a little trouble with it, but once I started, things got a little too emotional that originally planned. I hope this one's up to your expectations! **

**By the way, keep those requests coming! I enjoy looking through them.**

**Please do tell me what you think. Wishing you all the best!**


	8. Chapter 8

"Plié, releve, then passé," The instructor said, demonstrating it on the barre for her sole pupil to copy. Elise giggled before copying her teacher, her little hands over her head as she turned on her tiptoes.

"Plié, 'leve, passé," Elise repeated, lisping a bit.

Elsa sat on the lounge chair by the corner of the room, smiling as she watched Elise dance. She had next to her a small face towel and a pitcher of water, just in case. She watched how Elise would stumble halfway through every spin she attempted to do, how her little face scrunched up in frustration when the instructor would remind her to keep her feet pointed, and how she would fall on the floor from a shaky passé.

But then again, she was only four. Falling's part of the process.

The whole ballet thing started when Elsa was invited to become the guest of honor for Arendelle Theater's season finale, The Troll's Prophecy Ballet. Seeing this as an opportunity to be able to 'connect with her people', as she often puts it, she agreed. She brought Elise with her, since she thought she would enjoy a show. They welcomed Elise with open arms, giving her little trinkets and snacks to make her happy. The invitation was also extended to Anna, but she declined, knowing very well that she would most likely just fall asleep.

When the show started, Elise was immediately entranced by the music, followed by the dancers. She thought about how their leaps made them look like they were flying, how they bent so easily that they probably don't even have bones, and how they were able to balance on the tip of their toes without any support. Elise was so engrossed that she didn't even notice Elsa positioning her on her lap so she could get a better view.

After the show, they stayed at the theater for a while before going back to the castle. When Elsa was tucking Elise in her bed, she voiced out that she wanted to learn how to dance like the ballerinas she watched. Days passed after that, and all Elise would do around the castle would spin and prance on her tip toes, trying to replicate the moves from memory. If Elsa wasn't busy, Elise would hold an impromptu performance for her in her room, the only living audience among the mass of dolls and stuffed toys.

Seeing how Elise was acting, she finally caved in and made arrangements for Elise to have formal ballet classes in the castle, transforming one of the many vacant rooms into a dance studio.

"Alright, little one. Next meeting, remember to keep those little feet turned out. Nothing's worse that seeing sickled feet." The instructor told Elise, patting her forehead with a towel she left on the far edge of the barre. Elise nodded before scuttling over to Elsa, spinning as she did, making her pink tutu balloon and making the two adults in the room chuckle.

"Why, hello, my little ballerina," Elsa grinned, kissing her soundly on the cheek. Elise laughed before throwing her arms around Elsa's neck, sitting herself on her lap. "Did you have fun?"

Elise nodded before yawning, resting her head on Elsa's chest. The ballet instructor bowed politely before leaving the room. With a small sigh, Elsa stood up with Elise in her arms and carried her back to her room, removing her tutu, leotards, stockings and ballet shoes before changing her into a casual dress.

"The things I do for you," Elsa whispered, carefully removing Elise's hair from a tight bun, smoothing it out by running her fingers through her light brown locks. She chuckled a bit at how different her life had seemed ever since this little person came into her life, but she wasn't at all complaining.

Elsa stayed with Elise, humming her a lullaby. Once she was sure that her daughter was out cold, she snuck back to the makeshift dance studio. She closed the door and roamed around the room, making sure that she was alone. With a hesitant wave of her hand, she froze the floor over, creating a miniature ice rink. She waved her hand once again over herself and her trademark gown gradually transformed into an ensemble of icy sleeveless leotards, stockings and even tutu, and her kitten heels morphed into ice skates.

"Alright," Elsa breathed, gliding towards the barre, ghosting her hand over it before holding it tightly, not at all afraid of frosting it over. "How did they do that again? Plié," she continued, performing the move from memory. She has been watching Elise's lessons closely, taking down mental notes (and sometimes actual notes, claiming that they were to help Elise's technique, or still lack thereof).

After a while, she moved away from the barre and started to skate around, both forwards and backwards, picking up speed as she did. She leaped and turned as gracefully as a seasoned professional, moving to the song that was heard only in her head. She was about to attempt another pirouette when she heard a familiar voice by the door, making her almost lose her footing.

"And you said you didn't dance." Anna grinned, chuckling a bit. She looked at her sister's form fitting attire and her grin morphed into a teasing smirk. "Nice outfit, by the way."

Elsa was as red as her sister's hair right about now. She tucked a stray hair behind her ear before speaking. "I thought I didn't as well."

Anna stepped on the ice, carefully treading on it since she still wasn't as comfortable with ice as her sister. "So, why are you-,"

"I was curious." Elsa admitted. "Elise seemed to be having fun, and I was intrigued by how much concentration and technicalities there are supposed to be in executing a pirouette or a grand jete. I guess I wanted to give it a try."

"I see," Anna agreed, though most of her words didn't seem to click in her mind. All of a sudden, a soft knock sounded on the door and it opened, revealing a drowsy Elise.

"I left Marcie," Elise yawned, referring to her doll. When she finally awake enough to notice the frosted floor and Elsa, she saw that her mother was wearing the exact same ballet attire she did, only more mature and not of the same material.

"You look pretty, Mama," Elise complimented, but not daring to step on the ice. She didn't know how to skate. Elsa glided over to Elise, picking her up and settling her on her hip.

"I'm not as pretty as you, little love," Elsa shot back, kissing her forehead. Anna smiled at the two before leaving the room, wanting to give them a bit of privacy. Elsa sat Elise down on the lounge chair, right next to Marcie.

"Alright, Elise," Elsa breathed, her confidence slightly wavering. She wanted to impress her. "Since you've always been giving me special performances, I think it's time I should be able to do so as well."

Elise gasped, her wide eyes twinkling with excitement. Elsa skated to the middle of the room, putting herself in fourth position before executing an impromptu routine. She did consecutive turns and glided across the ice swiftly and coodinatedly, like a professional would be. Elise started on, marveling at how amazing Elsa was.

Once Elsa ended her routine with a grand bow, Elise stood up on the lounge chair and clapped vigorously, making Elsa's grin even wider. Elsa defrosted the ice under her, still cautious about Elise slipping on it, and transformed her dance ensemble back into her trademark dress.

"Brava, Mama! Brava!" Elise cried out, browsing flying kisses towards her mother.

"Dance with me, Mama!" Elise grinned, walking up to the barre, holding on to it as she stared at Elsa with pleading eyes. Without another thought, she walked towards Elise, staying behind her.

"Alright, little love," Elsa said, holding on to the barre. "Teach me how to do ballet. If you want, I can teach you how to skate tomorrow."

Elise nodded her head immediately, happy with the agreement. She instructed Elsa to keep her back straight and her feet turned out, and she was happy to oblige.

"Mama, okay. Plié, 'leve, passé."

* * *

**Hello! This one's extremely short, but I hope you'd enjoy this. I've been watching a whole lot of dance videos and I guess this was the result of it. **

**Plus, figure skater Elsa has to be in there.**

**Please do tell me what you think. Wishing you all the best! **


	9. Chapter 9

A loud and chilling thunder clap resonated around Elsa's room, the heavy rain and howling wind outside accompanying it. It wasn't exactly soothing, especially at night, but for some strange reason, Elsa wasn't disturbed by it.

The small, timid knock on her door was drowned by the pelting rain. Elise quietly turned the knob, peeking first before sneaking in. Christine, her doll, was currently in a vice grip and when she saw a flash of lightning, she clutched the doll tighter, trying not to yelp out in fear.

Elise closed the door behind her as quietly as possible and walked up to Elsa's large bed. Right when half of her body was dangling from the edge of the bed, she heard an especially loud thunderclap. Surprised, she fell to the floor with a thud. She whimpered quite loudly, a few tears escaping her eyes.

Elsa squinted with her eyes closed, hearing the thud through the strong rain. _Someone might've snuck in_, Elsa thought. Forcefully opening her eyes, she quickly sat up on the bed, her arms in defense position. When lightning flashed from the large window, she heard a small whimper from the side of bed. She peered down and saw none other than Elise in a fetal position, holding Christine to her chest.

"Oh, darling," Elsa breathed, her guard going down. She got up from the bed and went over to her, picking her up from the floor and holding her as if she were a baby. When Elise felt herself being lifted up, she immediately buried her head in Elsa's shoulder.

Elsa set Elise down right next to her on the bed, tucking them both under the warm duvet. Another thunderclap. Elise jumped, whimpering again as she wrapped her arms around Elsa's middle, burying her head under the covers. Elsa held her daughter closer, her hand rubbing circles on her back to calm her down.

"Make it stop, Mama," the three year old whispered, more tears escaping her eyes, staining Elsa's nightgown. Elsa leaned down to kiss the crown of Elise's head.

"I would if I could," Elsa whispered back. The two were silent for a short while, the only sound present was the rain hitting against the roof. Elsa ran her fingers through the little girl's hair, untangling the slight curls.

"Mama?" Elise voiced out, sniffling. Elsa made no hesitation to wipe the tears away with her thumb.

"Yes, Elise?"

"Why are you not scared?" Elise asked in a timid voice, playing with the ends of her mother's hair. Elsa slightly shook her head, a small smile appearing on her face.

"I can't be scared," Elsa stated simply. In all honesty, if it were someone else, she would've said that she was indoors and that the rain would never reach her. She would've said that she liked the sound of the rustling trees and the water pouring down. But, she had to appease her daughter. "I have to be brave for the both of us."

Elise nodded, her eyelids feeling heavier. She yawned cutely before snuggling closer to Elsa, closing her eyes. Elsa hummed a simple tune, watching her daughter fall asleep as she brushed stray hair from her face. She whispered a reminder to Elise before falling back asleep.

"I love you, Elise."

* * *

_ There was a large dragon with three heads, fire, ice and smog respectively coming out from each of the heads' nostrils. It was around twenty, maybe thirty feet tall, the dragon's claws as tall as sharp as knives and as tall as Elsa, who was currently trying to protect Elise._

_"Stay away!" Elsa yelled, blasting the strongest ice she's ever conjured up at the monster. The encased the dragon's feet in ice, trying to thicken it as to further paralyze the dragon, but it only held it for a little while because with a lift, the dragon's foot was free from the thick ice._

_Enraged, the dragon lunged forward. The head that was breathing fire leaned down and grabbed a running Elsa by the waist. Elise, who was in her arms while running, was thrown to the ground in an attempt to save her. The dragon lifted Elsa up, the sharp teeth piercing through her skin._

_The three-headed dragon looked directly at Elise, as if to challenge her, before clenching its jaw and crushing the body in its mouth. The sound of breaking bones resonated through her ears, making her scream the loudest she ever had._

* * *

During this, Elise's eyebrows furrowed, beads of sweat starting to form all around her body. She was stuck in her vivid dream, trying to figure out if it was really happening or not. Her heart raced, more drool started to escape from her mouth, and unconsciously, her hands clenched into fists and aimlessly punched the air, managing to accidentally jab Elsa in the stomach.

"Ungh," Elsa, though extremely drowsy, groaned, awoken by the unexpected gut blow. She rubbed the sore spot as she muttered, "We don't hit people awake, Elise."

She sat up when she heard Elise yelp, almost maniacally. Despite the dim atmosphere, it was clear enough that her daughter was in distress. She squinted her eyes, trying to adjust to the darkness and saw that Elise was drenched in sweat, her arms swinging at the air.

"Elise, open your eyes," Elsa said, wiping off the sweat from her face with her hands. She wasn't used to seeing her daughter in this state, since this was the first time that had happened. When Elise was still wasn't budging, she pleaded louder, slightly shaking her. "Don't make me worry, Elise. Please, wake up."

Elise immediately opened her eyes, sitting up abruptly. She was panting, as if she had been running for hours. When she saw Elsa right next to her, she wrapped her little arms around her neck in a vice grip, sobbing openly into her nightgown.

"Mama," Elise hiccuped, trying to talk through loud sobs. "You're here."

Elsa wrapped her arms around her daughter tightly, not at all caring if she was sweaty or covered with drool. She kissed her sweat drenched hair before replying. "Of course I am. I never left."

"Mama, you died!" Elise cried out, hugging Elsa tighter. "Monster got you and, and-," Elise tried to continue, but she started to hyperventilate, choking on her own sobs.

"Breathe, love," Elsa instructed, holding her and guiding her as she tried to make Elise relax. Once Elise had started to breathe normally, she fell limp in her mother's arms. Elsa shifted Elise so she would be cradling her in her arms.

"It was just a dream," Elsa soothed, gently rocking to and fro so as to appease her daughter. "I'm here. Mama's here."

Elsa never referred to herself as 'Mama' unless it was completely necessary, but right now, it was the only thing that could calm both Elise and herself down. It reminded her that the little girl in her arms was actually, genuinely hers.

Elise was extremely tired from her little episode, but she refused to sleep since she was afraid of having a nightmare again. When Elsa saw Elise trying to force herself awake, she started rubbing circles on her stomach with her thumb, making her even drowsier.

"Sleep, little love," Elsa whispered, not at all releasing Elise from her cradle hold. Elise slightly shook her head, forcing her heavy eyelids open.

"I don't wanna," Elise argued, yawning as she did. "I don't wanna lose you 'gain."

"You're not going to lose me," Elsa reassured, kissing her forehead. "If it makes you feel safer, I'll hold you while you sleep. So you'll know that I'm just here."

Elise saw nothing wrong with this agreement. She snuggled even closer to Elsa, making herself comfortable in her mother's arms before closing her eyes. Elsa sighed, knowing that she wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep since she had to stay up to fight off the dragon in Elise's head.

This was the first time Elise had come into her room for comfort, and at the back of her mind, she knew that this wasn't going to be the last.

* * *

**I know a few of you wanted a nightmare chapter, so I tried to deliver. This one was requested by Relentless Wind and turtleneck. I hope it is to your liking. I tried my best.**

**And dear goodness, thank you for the responses and the ideas! I will be trying to incorporate those in future installments. **

**Please do tell me what you think. Wishing you all the best!**


	10. Chapter 10

This had to be perfect.

A ball was held to celebrate the fourth anniversary of Elsa's coronation. She had seen to it that it would be different every year, just to keep things interesting.

Elsa took a deep breath before walking over to the platform, just in front of where her throne is currently residing. Kai cleared his throat before calling the attention of all of the party-goers inside the hall.

"Presenting, Queen Elsa of Arendelle." Kai projected, and Elsa smiled at her people. Anna grinned at her sister before walking over to her, taking her spot next to her.

"Princess Anna of Arendelle." Kai continued. He saw Elise run towards Elsa, hiding behind her dress. She was still fairly small, even for a three-going-on-four year old. Elsa put her hand on the crown of her daughter's head, smiling down at her to help calm her nerves.

The crowd had risen from their bows and had gone back to the festivities. Anna had gone off to join Kristoff, who was currently blended in the crowd. Elsa spotted a small group of children in the corner of the hall who were playing around, and she immediately seized the opportunity. She knelt down so she could meet Elise eye level and smiled softly.

"Would you like to play with them, little love?" Elsa asked, pointing at the group. Before Elise could respond, Elsa continued. "I'll just be around."

"But you'll be alone," Elise mused thoughtfully. She was very observant, and she pieced everything up from her daily activities. Her Aunt Anna had Uncle Kristoff, Olaf was always with Sven, and her Mama just had her. If she left, she would be by herself. She knew how that felt, so she didn't want Elsa to feel the same thing.

"Oh, Elise," Elsa smiled, pulling her into a hug before kissing her head. "I just wanted you to make new friends, and I promise I'll make a few of my own tonight. I think we both need that."

"Okay," Elise reluctantly agreed. Elsa kissed her cheek once again before releasing her from her hug.

"Go on," Elsa urged, watching as her daughter walked away from her and towards the group of children. She herself joined the older fellows, smiling and making small talk. Despite having three years of experience, she still had to try her best not to look or sound awkward.

"Good evening, your majesty," A rich, rough velvety voice greeted her from behind, and Elsa turned around, entranced by the sound. She saw that he was positioned in a formal bow, but his head was snapped up so he could meet the queen's gaze.

He stood up from his bow and saw that he was a head taller that her. He was slightly lanky with a bit of muscle. He had dark brown hair, almost black, his jaw well-defined and free from stubble, and his eyes were an intense cobalt blue. Elsa thought that overall, he looked quite attractive, but he also looked quite mysterious and sophisticated.

"Would you care for a dance?" He offered boldly, his palm open in invitation. Elsa smiled before retorting.

"I would care to know your name first, good sir," Elsa mused, but caught herself immediately what she realized what she was doing. She was absolutely smitten!

"M-my apologies, your majesty," The man stammered, all traces of confidence gone. He composed himself immediately before taking Elsa's hand and kissing it, making her blush. "I am Prince Erik of Linthelles."

Elsa found him quite endearing. To make him slightly more comfortable, she curtsied in response.

"Such a beautiful place," Elsa commented, remembering her trip to said kingdom around two years back, way before she had adopted Elise. She wasn't able to meet the prince during her visit; she would've remembered him if she did. "It is quite far, though."

"That explains why I am staying in Arendelle for a month. I much prefer the cold weather, anyway . . . natural or not." He grinned, even winking at the queen. Elsa mocked a gasp before playfully swatting his arm.

"My, my, Prince Erik," Elsa exaggerated. "Are you trying to woo me?"

"That depends. Were my attempts effective?" Prince Erik smiled, stepping closer to the queen. He was still at a respectable distance; he knew his limits.

"Hmm, I don't know," Elsa grinned, looking jovial but was actually contemplating whether to allow herself to be swept away by this stranger or to just run. When Elsa felt him take her hand again, she had a gut feeling that she should just give the poor boy a chance.

"How about a dance then, to sort everything out." Erik grinned charmingly, further reeling Elsa in.

* * *

Elise approached the children who were running around, immersed in their game of tag. Breathing deeply, she walked towards them, unnerved by her past experience with that retched game.

"May I join?" Elise asked tentatively, and all of the children paused before agreeing, no undertone of mischievousness. All of them were extremely sheltered; they must've craved human interaction with children their age.

"What's your name?" A girl piped up. She looked to be around Elise's age. She was spunky, but was hard not to like. She puffed out her chest before announcing regally, "I'm Princess Maddy of the Western Isles."

"Elise," She grinned with her pearly white baby teeth, immediately liking Maddy for being so open. She then thought how Maddy introduced herself with her title, making her wonder if she had one. Maybe she did, but she just didn't know.

She'd ask Elsa later. She would know.

"You're not a princess?" A boy asked. He wasn't trying to call her out or be rude; he was simply curious.

"I don't know," Elise shrugged her shoulders. She wanted to be a princess, that's for sure, but she wasn't sure if really she was.

"Come on, let's play!" Maddy interrupted with a grunt, taking a hold of Elise's hand and dragged her towards the other children.

* * *

Elsa and Erik were lost in their own little world, talking about common interests as they slowly swayed back and forth in one area of the hall. Elsa was cautious enough to keep her guard up just in case something happened, but a small voice at the back of her mind was telling her to at least enjoy.

"Are you alright?" Erik asked, his voice low but soothing. Elsa nodded a bit, trying to clear her head of the internal battle.

"I'm great," Elsa breathed. Erik smiled before holding her closer. The feeling was foreign to Elsa, trying her best to act natural. She took deep breaths before allowing herself to melt in his embrace right when he hummed the tune the band was playing.

Elise was happily getting along with her newfound friends, but her thoughts flew back to Elsa. Was she enjoying as much she was?

"I'm going to go to my mama for a while," Elise told Maddy, and she nodded her head in understanding.

"Come back when you're done, okay?" Maddy made her promise, and Elise laughed before agreeing.

Elise walked ahead, searching for a blonde head. When she eventually did, though, she was not expecting that blonde head to be resting on the chest of a brunette one. She looked at Elsa's face and she saw that she was smiling, her eyes closed. She looked up at the man and saw that he was looking down on Elsa, an adoring grin on his face. He looked around and was able to spot Elise, who was standing frozen in her place.

"Are you looking for your parents, little one?" The man asked Elise. When Elsa heard him speak, she was out of her little bubble and separated herself from Erik. She blushed before walking over to Elise, picking her up and settling her on her hip, then she rested her head on Elsa's chest.

"Hello there, baby," Elsa smiled, kissing her cheek.

_Moment of truth. He's shared so much; time to see if he'd accept me even after this. _"Erik, I would like you to meet Elise," Elsa smiled proudly, not even a hint of shame evident in her voice. "My daughter."

Erik tried his best to mask the surprised look that took over his face, but then looked down to get a really good look at her. She had light brown hair, blue eyes, but not matching the shade of Elsa's. She was a pinkish white, a splattering of freckles on her nose and cheeks. She didn't look at all like Elsa, and since there was no man in her life, he would only assume that she was adopted.

"I understand if you do not want to . . . associate yourself with me anymore," Elsa said, jumping into conclusions when she saw his reaction. They were like a package deal. Every single time she told her suitors that she had a daughter, they would smile politely but never contact her again.

Elsa was about to walk away when she felt a hand gently tug at her elbow, making her face him.

"Once again, I completely apologize for my reaction," Erik said sullenly to Elsa, his eyes showing nothing but sincerity. He bent his knees, positioning himself in an awkward squat just to meet Elise eye to eye.

"Hello there, Elise. I'm afraid we've gotten off to the wrong start," Erik apologized, holding his hand out for him to shake. Elise was just as entranced with his voice as Elsa was. It was rough, but it was warm. "I'm Erik."

"I like how you talk," Elise smiled a bit, starting to get comfortable with him. "Sounds nice."

"That's good to know, little one," Erik chuckled, stroking the small girl's cheek with his finger. His eyes looked up and saw Elsa looking at him, trying to hide a toothy grin.

"Mama," Elise looked up, and she immediately got her mother's attention.

"Yes, little love?"

"Am I a real princess?" She wondered. Elsa didn't want to disappoint her, so she delayed.

"What brought this on?"

"We were playing and they're all real Princes and Princesses and I don't know what I am. Am I a princess like them, Mama?" Elise never thought she would feel insecure about this issue, but apparently she was, since a few tears spilled from her eyes.

"Whatever happens, little love, you're _my _little princess, and that's all that matters," Elsa soothed, wiping away her tears. During this, Erik had taken the initiative to usher them to a secluded area so they wouldn't be interrupted.

"Erik?" Elise asked, surprising both him and Elsa.

"Yes, little one?" Erik asked, his tone extremely gentle. With a little bit of hesitation, Elise had reached out for him, and without a second thought, he took him from Elsa's arms, settling her in his own. Elise reached up to clasp her arms around his neck, and all Erik could do was hold her tighter.

Elise wanted to know how a hug from someone not from her family felt. She'd seen other kids with their fathers swinging them up in the air, hugging them, just experiencing two parents instead of one. Since she saw that Elsa trusted him, she was sure that she could trust him as well.

"You made mama smile tonight," Elise whispered to his shoulder. "Thank you."

Erik looked at Elsa, who had tears in her eyes as she watched them interact. Everything happened so fast, making her doubt if any of this was real.

"You are welcome, little princess," He said, trying to appease the girl in his arms. "You want to know a secret?"

At the tone of his voice, Elise immediately nodded her head. Erik leaned down and whispered in her ear, "I like your mama. A lot."

Elise giggled. "I think she likes you too."

* * *

**This has been a mix of requests, which are Fletchdoug99's (though altered because I wanted Elsa to trust someone, not to relapse), Relentless Wind's (Well, sort of. Not exactly papa, but y'know. Fatherly.), Purplepox63010 (With the more kid encounter), and I was able to use daseyloverwholived's little girl's name. **

**I like Erik. Maybe I'll keep him. Any thoughts on Erik?**

**Please do tell me what you think. Wishing you all the best! **


	11. Chapter 11

If there was a period after the thaw that Elsa wanted to relive, it was during the first few weeks since adopting Elise. During the first week, she had asked Gerda to take care of Elise's hygiene, but she had always been there to watch and take note of how everything was done so she could learn how to do it on her own.

"Elsaaa," Elise gurgled, soap bubbles covering her head and stomach as she splashed around in the water. Gerda was currently washing Elise's body down with water to remove the suds, and Elsa smiled from around two feet distance at her new daughter.

"I'm right here, Elise," Elsa said, waving her hand. Elise waved back, but when she put it down, she splashed the water, effectively getting Gerda quite wet.

"Sorry," Elsa immediately said, standing up to retrieve a small towel by the cabinet before offering it to Gerda. She made Elise stand up before draining the water. She wrapped her up in a towel before taking the small towel from Elsa.

"Thank you, your highness," Gerda smiled, wiping her face and neck dry of the soapy water. Gerda picked Elise up before bringing her to her room, setting her down on a quilt-covered table. Elsa had trailed behind her old nanny, and when Gerda put Elise down, she immediately reached out for Elsa.

"Elsa, up, up, up!" Elise giggled, not all all wavered by her lack of clothing. While Gerda was still looking for safety pins for Elise's cloth diaper and getting her night dress, Elsa took another towel from the dresser and proceeded to carefully dry Elise's hair.

"In a while, Elise," Elsa reprimanded lightly, drying off Elise's body as well. Gerda came back and took over, and Elsa stayed back, allowing her to do her work. Elise was asked to lie down while Gerda expertly put her diaper on, fastening it with two safety pins before making her sit up and putting a white cotton night dress over her head.

Elsa answered her daughter's prior plea and picked her up, holding her close, despite her hair still being quite damp. Gerda curtsied before leaving the room, telling Elsa to just call and she would respond immediately.

After freshening up herself, they both went downstairs for dinner where Anna had already started on her soup. Elsa sat down on her usual seat, and Elise was seated quite far from her, two servants tending to her immediately.

"Elsaaaa," Elise whined, feeling especially clingy today. Elsa tried to ignore her pleas, wanting to be able to instill a bit of discipline in her. But when Elise released a high-pitched wail, Elsa wasn't able to bear it anymore and stood up from her seat, briskly walking over to Elise and snatched her from her high chair, trying to soothe her cries.

"I'm sorry, Elise, I'm so sorry," Elsa said, rocking and bouncing Elise in her arms as she cried into Elsa's chest, her arms wrapped tightly around her neck. "Stop crying now, baby, I'm here. Elsa's here."

The servants had retreated immediately, but Anna looked on, pitying the small girl but she felt her admiration for her sister grow exponentially. Elsa was so good of taking care of others, and Anna could only hope that she would be able to do the same to her future children, as well as to everyone else.

Elise's cries had gone down, and Elsa cleaned the tear streaks from Elise's cheeks with her finger. "Are you alright now, baby?"

Elsa had never been too keen with pet names, but it seemed to appease Elise for some reason. Elise nodded her head, sniffling a bit. Elsa sat back down on her seat, placing Elise sideways on her lap. She then turned to the servants who were standing a few feet away from the long dining table.

"From here on out, please place her seat right next to me to avoid unwanted temper tantrums." Elsa told them, her voice both apologetic and musing. They had replied with a well-rehearsed 'Yes, your majesty' in unison, making her smile at them before turning her attention back to Elise and Anna.

"First tantrum, check." Anna chuckled, taking another bite from her food. "Also, I never pegged you as a sentimental mother."

Elsa blushed at this, but held Elise tight in her arms. "I'm just relieved to know that she's easy to handle."

From here, they had carried on supper as normal. Elsa had fed Elise small portions from her plate which one of the servants moved, and she was hungry enough to manage to clear all the food on her plate. Elsa took bites in between Elise's slow chews. It was Elsa's first experience feeding her, and she loved the feeling of being needed.

"So full!" Elise moaned, leaning her side against Elsa's chest. Elsa smiled down at her, rubbing the small girl's stomach with the hand that was wrapped around her.

"I'm glad," Elsa smiled, wiping the sides of Elise's mouth with a napkin. She was considered underweight for her age, borderline malnourished, and all Elsa could do was allow her to eat anything she wanted to put a little bit of weight on her. Anna had already retreated from the table early, claiming that she had to wake up early tomorrow because she was visiting Kristoff's family of trolls for a few days.

"Elsa, go to warmmm," Elise said to Elsa. It took a while to comprehend when Elise first said this, but now, Elsa fully understood. She made her way out of the dining hall and towards the family room. Elsa and Anna used to play or just relax here with their parents, but right after their passing, it had never been stepped in, unless it was for general cleaning. After the great thaw, they had returned to it, and had been an almost everyday route when Elsa had Elise.

Elsa had asked one of the standby servants to start a flame before sitting on the couch in from of the fireplace. Elsa propped her legs up on the couch, Elise doing the same on her lap. Elise's back was against Elsa's chest, and she was breathing slowly, drowsiness starting to take over her.

Elsa started humming a soft tune, rubbing Elise's stomach with her thumbs. Elise yawned, closing her eyes. Elsa sighed; she never would have imagined that she would be in this position right now, but reality was literally in her arms.

And she had no intention of letting that go.

"Hello, Elise," Elsa whispered to the sleeping form in her arms. Elise had only been with her for a week, but the overwhelming love for the little girl in her arms made her feel like she was really hers. "You know, although I was never able to capture some of your firsts, I guess you were able to capture a lot of mine."

The fire was relaxing; she was at ease.

"I'm still learning how to do everything properly, so please forgive me if I do anything wrong." Elsa confessed, breathing deeply. She had no idea where to start. "I am trying my very best, I swear. I promise that very soon, I'll be the one who'll be changing your diapers and giving you baths and tending to you when you're sick, despite how nasty things might transpire."

Seeing that she still hasn't woken up, she carried on. "I promise to fight the monsters under your bed and protect you from the boogeyman in your dreams. I'll teach you how to defend yourself, how to stand up for what you believe is right. And I'll be there to support you through everything."

"I don't want you to hide anything from me, and in return, I promise not to hide anything from you." Elsa had to pause for a while when she said this, her mind flashing back to her childhood and teenage years. She breathed deeply before carrying on. "No matter how big or small the matter may be."

Elise shifted in her arms, now lying on her side. Elsa rubbed her back, sighing when her fingers felt the protruding bones. "I am trying to fatten you up, alright? So don't be afraid to ask for another piece of chocolate or another bowl of fruits and cream; I will be very willing to give it to you."

Elsa stood up, cradling Elise in her arms. She walked towards Elise's room, kissing her forehead before laying her down in her crib. She watched her sleep for a short while before carrying on with her love letter.

"I want you to know that you are one of the best things that happened in my life." Elsa tried to keep the tears at bay as she leaned down, her lips touching the crown of her head, kissing Elise for the first time. "You may have been with me only for a while, but believe me when I say that I love you."

The tears that she had been holding back finally fell from her eyes, her heart overflowing with emotion. She smiled through the tears, a small laugh escaping her lips. "I love you _so much_, baby. More than anything."

* * *

**I've always wanted to write about Elise's first week in the castle. **

**I received mixed reviews about Erik, so I have no idea whether to pursue writing him or not. Oh well. But, please do keep your requests coming! I might not be able to use them all, but I will try my best to incorporate your ideas.**

**Also, thank you so much for all of the amazing response for this story. They make me really, really happy.**

**Please do tell me what you think. Wishing you all the best! **


	12. Chapter 12

When Elsa woke up one morning, she felt refreshed and energized since she didn't have too much work the day before, allowing her to retire in her bed chambers earlier than normal.

With a happy sigh, she went off to her personal wash room to do her morning rituals before walking the short distance her daughter's room.

"Good morning, little love," Elsa chirped from the door, smiling as she walked towards the canopied bed. When Elise didn't stir like she normally did at her voice, Elsa's happy mood immediately diminished and panic took over.

"Elise?" Elsa pushed away the canopy and sat on the bed, placing the back of her hand on her daughter's forehead and gasped when it felt unnaturally warm. Elise had never been sick before, so for this to happen so suddenly was quite a surprise.

"Oh, my poor baby," Elsa crooned sadly, brushing the stray hair away from Elise's face. At that moment, Elise scrunched her little face and slowly opened her eyes, groaning at her pounding headache.

"Mama," Elise whimpered weakly, her eyelids fluttering. Elsa gave her a soft look before kissing her forehead. "Mama, it hurts."

"Where does it hurt?" Elsa asked patiently, ghosting her fingers over Elise's cheeks and forehead in hopes of cooling her down a bit.

Elise pointed at her head and her throat, whimpering again, trying not to strain her voice. Elsa also saw that her nose was clogged and she was heaving, in an attempt of breathing properly. She let out a frustrated yelp at her futile attempts, tears starting to escape her eyes.

"Come here," Elsa soothed, carefully picking Elise up from under the covers and settled her in her arms, holding her close to her body. She radiated coldness, and Elise sighed in temporary contentment.

Still holding her daughter close, Elsa stood up from the bed, taking a clean handkerchief from Elise's drawer and bringing up to her nose.

"Blow," Elsa instructed, slightly pinching her nose through the cloth. Elise did as told, effectively clearing away the obstruction. Elsa set her back on the bed, covering her with a thinner blanket.

"Are you hungry, little love?" Elsa asked, disposing of the used handkerchief in the laundry basket for collection later. Elise shook her head, closing her eyes in an attempt of sleeping again.

"But you have to eat something," Elsa gently pressed on, concerned for Elise's health. It didn't help that she was still quite thin, even though her slightly chubby face said otherwise. "Beef broth, perhaps? Isn't that your favorite?"

Elise finally caved in to her mother's wishes, nodding her head slightly. Kissing her forehead, Elsa stood up and went down to the dining hall, walking directly towards Gerda.

"Good morning, your majesty," Gerda greeted, a small smile on her plump face. When she saw Elsa's distraught expression, she straightened up. "What is wrong? Is it little miss?"

Elsa nodded sadly. "She is sick, though I have no idea what brought it on. Would you be so kind enough to bring a bowl of beef broth up to her quarters?"

"Oh, poor dear. I hope it's nothing serious. But, of course. I'll go work on it myself." Gerda said hastily, curtsying before scuttling towards the kitchen.

"Elise is sick?" Anna voiced out, overhearing their conversation. Elsa nodded grimly.

"I think it's a fever. I have no idea what to do, and it scares me." Elsa admitted. Sure, she's had fevers, but she's never had them as a child. She didn't know how long they would last or the things Elise should and should not be eating.

"Have you told the doctor?" Anna asked, and Elsa shook her head.

"Not yet. I'm about to, though." Elsa said. Before she could turn around to leave, Anna quickly downed the water from her goblet, wiping off her lips with her sleeve before standing up.

"Don't worry, I'll go there. You go to Elise; I'm sure she needs you right now." Anna said. Elsa flashed her sister a grateful smile before heading back towards her daughter's room.

Quietly opening the door, she saw that Gerda had already propped Elise upright on her bed, slowly feeding her the broth.

Elsa walked towards them, sitting down on the other side of Elise. She peeked at the bowl and saw that she barely made any progress with the soup.

"Last one, little miss," Gerda said, bringing up a spoonful of broth to Elise's lips. With a grimace, Elise accepted the spoon, feeling a bit too full for comfort.

Gerda set the bowl and spoon on the tray by her bedside before curtsying and going out of the room. Elsa looked down and saw that Elise's face was tinged a slight green, her queasiness evident.

"Hnghhh," Elise whimpered before releasing the contents of her stomach from today and the night before, staining her bed sheets, her night gown, and Elsa's dress. With a bit of vomit dribbling down her chin, she immediately burst into tears.

"Oh, baby," Elsa sympathized, picking Elise up and setting her on her hip, not exactly minding the vomit since she was covered in it as well, but, if she had to be honest, the smell was quite hard to ignore. "Let's get cleaned up."

Elsa collected Elise's undergarments and a fresh night gone first before going to her own quarters, making a beeline towards her personal bathroom. She quickly disposed of Elise's dress before her own, leaving her clad only in her chemise. She sat Elise on top of the table next to the basin before running a small towel under the water, squeezing the excess and wiping her daughter down. She started with her face before moving down to her body. She tried to be as gentle as possible; she didn't want to aggravate her condition further.

"I'm sorry, mama," Elise apologized solemnly, her eyes downcast. Elsa finished wiping her daughter clean first before looking into her eyes.

"Why are you apologizing? You didn't do anything wrong." Elsa said, helping Elise put on her undergarments before putting on her night gown.

"Yes, I did," Elise argued, a new batch of tears threatening to spill over. "I threw up on you and I gots sick and now you can't do queen stuff 'cause of me." She lisped, the silent tears finally falling.

"Well, I can't say that I like being thrown up on," Elsa admitted, but made sure that she was smiling so as not to offend her. "But you know I prefer taking care of you than doing queen stuff. Plus, it's not your fault for being sick, so don't apologize for that."

"Really?" Elise lisped, looking up at Elsa.

"Really." Elsa smiled down on her, wiping away the tear stains on her cheeks. Elsa had also taken the liberty of brushing Elise's little teeth; goodness knows how much she needed that.

"There, all fresh." Elsa smiled, kissing Elise on the lips, making her giggle a bit. Elsa freshened up a bit herself, but seeing that she would not be able to attend to anything other than her daughter, she decided not to wear anything over her chemise anymore.

Picking Elise up from the table, they went out of the bath room and set her down on her large bed, promising to come back after a short while. Elise nodded obediently before laying her head down on a pillow, slipping into slumber once more.

Elsa went out of her room and saw that the door to Elise's room was open. She looked inside curiously and saw that three servants were already changing the sheets, cleaning up and disinfecting the room.

"Elsa, there you are! We've been looking everywhere for you." Anna said, taking a hold of her sister's hand. "Here's the doctor, by the way."

"Your majesty," The doctor bowed before Elsa, one eyebrow slightly raised at her clothing, or rather, lack of it. Elsa waved her hand dismissively before leading them in her room where Elise was still fast asleep.

With an apologetic sigh, Elsa walked over to Elise and kissed her temple, whispering in her ear.

"Open your eyes, little love. Just for a while." At that moment, Elise groggily opened her eyes, trying to suppress her pounding headache. Elsa helped her sit up and the doctor took no time beating around the bush. He quickly checked her vitals and determined her temperature.

"Did she have anything to eat today?" He asked, checking his time piece. It was only half past ten in the morning. Elsa assisted her in lying back down, kissing her cheek and running her fingers through her hair.

"You can go back to sleep, baby. Rest well." Elsa whispered before turning her attention back to the doctor.

"A few sips of beef broth, but her stomach immediately rejected it," Elsa informed him. "Other than that, nothing."

"Her temperature is quite high, your majesty, but as long as you keep her hydrated and rested, she'll be healthy in no time." The doctor informed, Elsa taking mental notes. "It's good that you were able to feed her, but try not to feed her anything too heavy. Stick to bread and liquids. Everything may taste bland to her, though."

Elsa nodded, trying to remember everything. "What about milk? She drinks a glass every night."

The doctor shook his head. "Any dairy product would just curdle in her stomach. If she really needs it, though, give her only a small amount."

"How long do you think this would last?" Elsa asked. She wasn't asking as someone in authority anymore; she was asking as any concerned mother would.

"It's hard to tell." The doctor admitted. "But I'll be checking up on little miss tomorrow to check her temperature again."

"I see," Elsa said. "Alright. Thank you." Elsa gave the doctor a small smile, and he bowed before leaving the room. Anna walked over to her niece and sat down on the bed, brushing her bangs away from her face.

Elsa was lying down on her side, her elbow propping her torso up. Her other hand was on Elise's stomach, rubbing circles on it.

"You do that a lot," Anna said, her eyes on Elsa's hand. "Rub her stomach, I mean."

"It calms her down," Elsa replied, a small smile on her face. Anna couldn't tell if it was from the sun shining through the window, or from the pure, unadulterated love radiating from her, but Elsa appeared to be positively glowing. "During the first night she was here, she slept by my side, but she couldn't exactly sleep. I started rubbing her stomach and after a few minutes, she was knocked out."

"I see." Anna chuckled a bit, a serene expression on her face. She looked down again and watched her niece sleep, giggling silently when she saw her unconsciously bringing her thumb up to her mouth to suck on it.

"I know I should be stopping this but she looks too adorable," Elsa admitted, taking a hold of Elise's other hand. After a short while, Elise removed her thumb from her mouth and threw it around Elsa's waist, snuggling her face in her chest.

"Mama," Elise mumbled unconsciously, a small smile present on her face. Elsa grinned and rested her hand on the crown of her daughter's head, moving her thumb back and forth over it.

"I know Mama loved us very much, but she was never this close to us," Anna said, surprised at herself at bringing up the topic of their deceased parents after how many years of not doing so.

Elsa breathed deeply, holding Elise closer. She didn't comment on her sister's observation; she didn't know what to say.

"But I'm glad that Elise has you now. You always say that you don't know half of what you're doing when you're with Elise, but I beg to differ. You're a natural when it comes to her." Anna praised her sister, smiling at her encouragingly.

"I wouldn't call myself a natural." Elsa argued, remembering the first few weeks when she had to learn how to change her diapers and learning the little quirks Elise had. She knew that she was not obliged to, since servants and nurse maids and Gerda were available, but she wanted to feel the satisfaction of raising her on her own. Elise groaned, slowly opening her eyes up at Elsa.

"Keep sleeping, baby. I'm sorry I woke you." Elsa apologized, smiling down at her.

"Mama stay?" She lisped, her eyes already closing.

"Yes, mama's staying here." Elsa reassured, humming a bit to appease her. Anna raised an eyebrow at her sister.

"What?"

"Not a natural, she said!"

* * *

**Sick Elise, at your service. I've always wanted to do this, but I didn't exactly know how to start this until now. But, at least you get super mama bear Elsa.**

**This was requested by an Anon, so I'm sorry I couldn't give you much recognition. I hope this meets your standards.**

**Please do tell me what you think. Wishing you all the best! **


	13. Chapter 13

"And chassé, step, step, jeté, step, jeté!" The instructor called out, watching her sole student trying her best to keep up with the fast paced choreography. Elise was smiling all the while, so that put the instructor at ease, knowing that she wasn't pushing her too hard.

"Keep your feet pointed and your back leg straight. One last run before we end." She said, and Elise nodded her head, panting as she ran back to the corner and went into position.

When she heard the instructor repeat the steps, she followed obediently, but when she went up on a fairly high petit jete, she had forgotten to bend her knees and her left foot absorbed all of the impact, damaging it quite badly.

She tried to hide the injury by setting back into a plié, much to the instructor's delight. No one noticed.

"Very good, little miss. I shall see you again later this week." She grinned at her little student, and Elise smiled up at her, trying not to grimace. Her foot was throbbing, her weight always on her right leg.

Elise walked normally towards a smiling Elsa who was seated on a love seat, trying her best not to scream in pain.

"You danced beautifully," Elsa complimented graciously, kissing Elise's cheek as she gathered her in her arms. "Did you say thank you to Madame Sonya?"

Elise shook her head. She turned her torso, making sure not to take any steps and hollered out, "Thank you, Madame!"

"You are welcome." The instructor grinned, nodding her head at the child and curtsying at Elsa before leaving the room, her dance bag in hand. Elise turned her attention back to Elsa.

"Would you like to go back to your quarters?" Elsa asked, already releasing her hair from the tight bun and combing it with her fingers.

"Food?" Elise asked. She wasn't hungry, but she knew that Elsa would insist on changing her clothes before anything else, and she really didn't want to worry her mother with her ankle.

"Alright. Off to the kitchen, then." Elsa said, standing up from her seat and holding Elise's hand. When Elsa took a step forward, Elise didn't budge. Elsa looked at her daughter curiously, confused at her odd behavior.

Elise, thinking quick, put her arms up, a silent request to be carried. Elsa's eyes softened before complying, hoisting her up in her arms and settling her on her hip.

"You're quite clingy today. You never ask me to carry you," Elsa mused, but was secretly happy. Being four and a three fourths, Elise told Elsa that she was already a big girl and that she didn't need to be carried around. Elsa respected her wishes, but still couldn't wrap her head around the fact that her daughter was growing up.

"I'm tired," Elise supplied, resting her head on Elsa's shoulder for good measure. The pressure off of her left foot felt great, but she was still apprehensive about Elsa knowing.

"Is that so?" Elsa asked in a calming voice. Elise nodded her head against her shoulder. "How about I bring you to your quarters first so you can rest. I'll ask one of the servants to bring you some food. What would you like?"

"Fruits and cream," she replied, her tone exhausted. She was having an internal battle. If there was anything Elise didn't like, it's when her mother would worry about her. She doesn't like how she frowns.

"Alright." Elsa said, turning around and walking towards Elise's quarters. When Elsa set her down on her bed, she noticed that her daughter had been quite silent since her class. She was usually a chatterbox, even when she was tired.

"Do you want to change on your own? I'll just inform Gerda to bring your food up." Elsa said, knowing that she would never give up an opportunity to feel like a big girl, despite her overwhelming need to baby her. Elise nodded her head, waiting for Elsa was walk out of the door before changing.

She removed her leotard first before carefully removing her tutu, shoes and tights, holding back tears when she moved her injured ankle slightly. She surveyed the damage, grimacing at the angry mix of purple, black and blue, and how extremely swollen it was. She was surprised that Elsa never noticed it.

Taking a leap of faith, she stepped down from her bed, clad only in her underwear. She hobbled towards her dresser, taking a pair of bloomers and a nightgown, making sure that it was long enough to cover her ankles. She sat down on the floor, wiggling the bloomers up her legs without moving her left foot. Before she could put on the dress, she heard a voice from the door.

"Do you need some help?" Anna asked, smiling at her niece. Before Elise could respond, she walked over towards her, taking the night gown and quickly dressing her. Anna was about to stand up when she noticed Elise's left foot.

"What happened here?" Anna asked, trying to keep the panic from her voice. Elise kept silent. "Have you told Elsa about this?"

At the mention of Her mother's name, she burst into tears. "Don't tell her! I don't want mama to worry." She wailed, looking at Anna pleadingly. Anna didn't pay attention; she was too busy looking for writing materials and writing a note to Elsa, leaving it on Elise's bed before turning her attention back to her niece.

"Elise, she's going to worry even more if you don't get that checked." Anna said, scooping Elise in her arms, despite her protests. "We're going to the palace infirmary, alright? Whether you like it or not."

"No, aunt Anna, please, no," Elise whimpered, but her pleads fell on deaf ears when she felt Anna rushing out of her quarters, her bouncing in her arms.

Meanwhile, Elsa could not find Gerda anywhere, so she had ventured to the kitchen herself, asking the chef to prepare the dessert. One of the servants told her that she could go back to little miss and he would bring the food up to her, and Elsa agreed, smiling graciously.

Elsa walked back towards her daughter's room, panting slightly due to the long, winding staircase that she had to endure. When Elsa opened the door, Elise was no where to be found. Her dance wear was scattered on her bed, a piece of parchment being weighed down by her little ballet shoes.

Elsa's heart began to race, her ice already encasing the walls. She picked up the note, sighing in relief that her daughter wasn't kidnapped, but was worried nonetheless.

_Elsa, we're at the infirmary. Come quick. _

_-Anna_

Elsa dropped the note and practically ran towards the infirmary, her mind wondering what had happened to either Elise or Anna. Once she got there, she busted the door open, scanning the room and gasping when she saw her daughter lying down on a bed, her left foot elevated, and Anna applying an ice pack over it.

What happened here?" Elsa asked hastily, surveying her daughter's condition up close. She saw that her foot was bent at a strange angle, half of her ankle terribly swollen and was peppered by blue and purple bruises.

"Elise wants to tell you something." Anna said from her place by Elise's foot, urging her niece to go on. Elise shook her head, clamping her mouth shut.

"Elisabeth," Elsa said sternly, using her full name. At her mother's tone and usage, Elise knew that she had to confess.

"I hurt my foot in ballet. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, mama," Elise admitted shamefully, a few tears escaping her eyes. "I didn't want you to worry."

Elsa's sternness dissipated and was replaced by concern. "Oh, Elise," Elsa sighed, kissing her daughter's forehead. "Next time, please, don't hide anything from me."

"Are you mad, mama?" Elise squeaked, sniffling. Elsa wiped her tears away.

"I'm not mad, just disappointed. You know that I never hide anything from you, and it makes me sad that you think that this should be hidden from me." Elsa admonished lightly, and Elise nodded her head. The doctor came back from behind the curtain, holding bandages and metal clips.

"Oh, your majesty," The doctor said, surprised, going into a deep bow before standing up. "Little miss seems to have sprained her ankle, if that much is not yet obvious. I've had Princess Anna apply ice to her ankle, and I'll be wrapping it so as to aid with the healing." He informed her, holding up the roll of bandages.

Anna stepped away, making Elise slightly whimper at the loss of coldness. Elsa sat down next to Elise on the bed, holding her little body in her arms. When the doctor touched the pad of her foot, she held her breath.

"It hurts, mama," Elise whimpered, and all Elsa could do was hold her tighter, wanting so much to take her daughter's pain away.

"It's going to be alright, little love. I've got you. Mama's got you," Elsa whispered, helping Elise breath deeply. Anna sat opposite to her sister, wedging her niece in the middle. Elise was holding three of Anna's fingers, squeezing them tightly.

The doctor wrapped Elise's ankle expertly, pausing every once in a while to allow his patient to feel as comfortable as possible. Once he got to wrapping her ankle, Elise screamed loudly at his touch into Elsa's stomach, sobbing and thrashing in Elsa's arms.

"I don't want, I don't want," Elise screeched, sobbing heavily, staining Elsa's dress with mucus and saliva. "It hurts! Make it stop, mama! Make it stop!"

"Shh, calm down now, baby. Mama's got you, shh," Elsa soothed, rocking her slightly. Anna pitched in, rubbing the back of her hand, whispering encouraging words to her.

"Try singing to her. Mama always did that. That usually calmed me down when I was little." Anna suggested quietly. The doctor paused, waiting patiently, but also took this time to observe how the queen was with her daughter.

"I've never sang to her before; I don't know any songs," Elsa said. Sure, she would hum little ditties to Elise, but never actually sang to her. Elise's cries subsided a bit, and the doctor took this time to wrap it once over her ankle, making her scream again.

"Remember that lullaby mama used to sing that we loved? Baby Mine?" Anna said, remembering her mother's soothing voice as she sang that. Elsa thought about it and smiled a bit when the memory flashed back to her, nodding before looking down at her wailing daughter.

"Concentrate on mama's voice, okay, little love? Focus on mama," Elsa told her daughter, wiping her tears. Elise nodded, squeezing Anna's fingers. With a nervous breath, Elsa started.

"_Baby mine, don't you cry,_" Elsa sang softly, holding Elise tight. "_Baby mine, dry your eyes._"

Elise was entranced by her mother's voice, her cries gradually quieting down exponentially. She had always loved Elsa's voice, but it was her first time to listen to her sing. The doctor carried on by doing the second wrap, making Elise only wince this time.

"_Rest your head close to my heart, never to part, baby of mine_," Elsa continued her song, smiling a bit. She never took her eyes off of her little girl; she needed as much comfort as she could get.

Elsa had only finished the song halfway when the doctor had already finished bandaging her ankle properly. He left the infirmary, wanting to give them a private moment.

"Look, baby," Elsa said, pointing at her now wrapped up foot. "Mama's so proud of you."

"That's my brave girl!" Anna cheered, kissing Elise's cheek soundly, eliciting a small giggle.

"Do you want to go back to your quarters? I believe a bowl of fruits and cream is waiting for you." Elsa asked, brushing the hair away from her face. Elise smiled a bit a nodded, wrapping her arms around Elsa's neck, burying her face in her chest.

Elsa then looked at her sister, who was just staring at the duo. "Would you like to come with us?" She asked with a smile, and Anna nodded, returning the grin.

Elsa picked Elise up from the bed, cradling her in her arms as if she were a baby, and she and Anna walked back to Elise's quarters.

"Elsa?" Anna called her sister's attention as they walked up the steps.

"Yes?"

"I know I've said this before, but I really don't give you as much credit as you deserve," Anna said, following her sister as she turned right towards the hallway where Elise's room was.

Elsa gave her a small smile, wanting to escape the unwanted praise. Anna opened Elise's door and allowed her sister to enter first. She laid Elise down on her bed, and Anna took the liberty to stack pillows up for Elise's foot.

"Just rest, alright, little love?" Elsa said, rubbing random patterns on her stomach. "I love you."

"Love you, mama." Elise said drowsily, yawning before fluttering her eyes shut. Elsa took the bowl of fruits and cream that was on the bedside and ate a spoonful. Anna raised an eyebrow at her sister, but when Elsa offered her a spoon, she didn't decline.

"I thought this was for Elise?" Anna reminded, but her actions said otherwise when she fed herself another spoonful.

"She's asleep. I'll have another one ready when she wakes up." Elsa grinned, even letting out a small chuckle. Anna giggled as well, and they were both chatting quietly about random things as they finished the bowl.

"I miss this," Anna smiled, wiping off some residue from her lips with her sleeve. "Us bonding, I mean. Because you're usually off being a queen or being with Elise and when you're free I'm usually off with Kristoff or watching over Elise while you're working. I love Elise and all, but sometimes I just miss being with you."

Elsa was slightly taken aback by her words, but then realized that she was right. "Me too. But you know you could always ask."

"Yeah, but I know that you would want to spend every free moment you have with your daughter, and I don't exactly have the heart to take that away from you." Anna confessed, and Elsa all but pulled her sister into her embrace, and Anna hugged back tightly.

"I never knew you felt that way," Elsa said, sighing. "I'm sorry. I promise to make it up to you from now on."

"It's alright." Anna said, smiling a bit. "Can I tell you something?"

"Yes, of course."

Anna closed her eyes, breathing deeply. "You know, every single time I try to think of mama, I think of you. And mama doesn't have a lot of portraits here, so whenever I try to picture her face, I see you."

"Anna, I-,"

"Please don't think of it as weird. It's just that, even though she is not biologically yours, you have become the best example of a mother that I have ever seen." Anna smiled at her sister, wiping away Elsa's tears that she didn't even notice were falling. "If I were at least half of a mother you are to Elise, then I know I'll be doing an amazing job."

"Thank you," Elsa whispered, grinning at her sister widely. She pulled her in for another hug. "Thank you so much."

Anna only smiled. She deserved to hear that, after all.

* * *

**Long chapter to compensate for the long absence. **

**This chapter requested by another Anon. I hope I did your idea some justice. Also, I hope you guys caught a reference I threw in there. Tell me where it's from when you find it!**

**Please do tell me what you think. Wishing you all the best! **


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